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Lots of activity in Springerville this morning, with the Prescott Hot Shots arriving at Safeway for a snack, and other buses full of firefighters seen on the highway heading for the "Wallow Fire" in Bear Wallow Wilderness Area, south of Hannagan. The smoke is not that visible, although my daughter was over at Hulsey yesterday and saw the smoke. I was up at Big Lake early this morning and could see only a haze of smoke south of there, not a big plume. I think winds too strong for it to plume up much. I'm back in Flag now, so I won't get the firsthand news any more.

Oh, and no campfires or charcoal grills allowed in the campgrounds since last night in Apache-Sitgreaves NF (Big Lake, Hannagan, etc.) I think stoves still allowed. Not sure about non-campgrounds.

Here's a news story on the Wallow Fire, but as of this writing it has not made it to inciweb yet. (Maybe tomorrow?)
( dead link removed )

Perimeter Map [ Wallow Fire Map 2011-06-27 :: map ]
Inciweb ( dead link removed )

Oh man....

evacuating more of eagar and springerville:

http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

article refers to call center phone lines being down - wherever that is

spoke too soon - now a full evacuation
not much detail
tonight's community meeting is cancelled

http://www.wmicentral.com/news/latest_n ... 002e0.html

This does not bode well for the Gray Wolf efforts up there.

Here's the Modis map from 11:15 this morning (June 8th). I put it over a TOPO map so you could easily see locations. Looks like the perimeter is holding ok. Problem areas appear to be the entire southern line, east side of Escudilla, east side of Alpine, and north of Nutrioso.

Of course, there's been 5 hours of a warm windy day since this image, so anything goes at this point.

Obviously the fire doesn't burn in a perfect square, but the fire perimeter spans 40 miles north to south. East to west it's nearly 30 miles across. That's 1,200 square miles (again, not all of which has burned, just the rectangular frame around the perimeter points). The 389,000 acre figure cited yesterday equals about 607 square miles. Still 0% containment.

So I was just looking at the thumbnail of the map I posted above. Ironically, I'm seeing a resemblance to a Bear print. Might be time for me to turn off the computer?

KPHO just reported that the Evergreen 747 tanker is going to start operations tomorrow on the NE side of the fire. No word as to where it will be based out of.

just got this email...

Reports that Wallow Fire has moved into Greer. All firefighters pulling out. Go to http://www.kfyi.com for the latest information.

edit: funny how I can't find any 'lastest information' on kfyi.com

Edit: I wrote this before reading all of above page.

paulhubbard wrote:The webcam in Greer is no longer active, can't connect to it. I'm hoping it's only because Greer has no power now?

No power, rolling blackouts, etc.

Ok, sorry about my tirade, Paul. I am very upset right now about this whole fire thing. Anyway, I have now heard that evacs of the rest of Eagar and all of Springerville are taking place. So, my concerns (warranted or otherwise) regarding looting are probably moot now.

As for the grass, it burns so fast, it is amazing to watch. I have stood on a hill in Eagar and watched a grass fire run to 9,000 acres in just half an hour. Wind blowing about 40 mph at the time and it seemed like the fire went about that fast, too!

jdcollard wrote:
Reports that Wallow Fire has moved into Greer. All firefighters pulling out. Go to http://www.kfyi.com for the latest information.

Owner of Molly Butler Lodge is reporting:
"I just took the last call I can take and was told that Greer is completely engulfed in flames"

source: http://www.mollybutlerlodge.com/news

WMI is reporting a pre-evacuation notice for Green's Peak and Hidden Meadows area ... several miles northwest of Greer... so that may be an indication that the fire has in fact crossed containment lines in that area and spreading to the northwest.

I also went to that kfyi thing. I saw that the headline said Greer was burning, but the article did not say that. I believe they wrote it and then took it out, for some reason or another. But forgot to remove the headline? It is very possible.

The MODIS thermal satellite shows the fire over the eastern ridge up against the East Fork of the LCR. We don't know how accurate that is, but it doesn't look good.

KPHO's Donna Rossi just reported that the Eagar Police Chief told her that the fire was spotting in Eagar, a block away from where he lives. Nothing else about it I've heard, but they were forced to evacuate before the end of the newscast (previously said they could stay until 7pm), so that lends some credence to the report.

I can't figure out how to navigate the damn MODIS site.

Rob, Eagar, or Greer?

Eagar. They were reporting in Eagar.

I am sure that over by the Safari, Amity, LeSueur, or School Bus Road areas of Eagar, people would be awfully nervous right about now, if they were still there, which they aren't. I can't remember where Chief Hogan lives, but it might be out that way. Up Water Canyon, Crosby Street area, etc. Yikes. Glad my house is down further.

By the way, it's pronounced "Luh Sweer." Rhymes with "the beer."

FWIW, the whole country has heard of Eagar now. I don't figure most people have any concept of how enormous this fire is. I've tried a few ways of describing it, but I just can't convey the impact.

Back east, try this: As of yesterday it was 607 square miles. All five boroughs of New York City are only 304 square miles. Explain that every square inch of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan have burned. And then DOUBLE it. And THEN remind them that it is 0% contained so far.