HikeArizona.COM

Rebooting for the 2012 Fire season. Here comes the smoke, and we now what that means.












I must be blowing it?

It is going to be scary dry in the White Mtns. within a month, I predict. I was just there over the weekend. Haven't seen it like that for a few years. No campfire ban as yet, but the Gila does have one in place--no campfires for at-large campers or backpackers.

We are pretty lucky, in the western Mogollon Rim area, to have had relatively abundant moisture this winter. Also, the early April storm has helped green stuff up. South and east of Happy Jack it gets progressively drier.

Texas has some fires burning there too. Flew over one on Friday that looked pretty big. Lots of smoke anyway. I think it was the Oasis fire, which is about 9000 acres in size.

Texas is going nuts with fires. The Rock House in the Alpine area is over 215,000 acres.

The western landscape is mostly a fire maintained ecosystem. The last 100 years are the anomaly to the previous 10,000 years. Same goes for a lot of the east, too, but this is AZ!

As the above link shows, you can see a number of fires in the SW. Last week, when I was on Mount Kimball, I think I could see one of the fires down by the border, if not south of the border, down Mexico Way. That fire burns still, yearning for freedom, as it moves northward.

Jim_H wrote:
As the above link shows, you can see a number of fires in the SW. Last week, when I was on Mount Kimball, I think I could see one of the fires down by the border, if not south of the border, down Mexico Way. That fire burns still, yearning for freedom, as it moves northward.

Cool map. I like how they show that little prescribed fire down by WACA

Word around the Sunset Crater maintanence shack is there is a small human-caused wildfire just west of the Coconino County Fairgrounds, spotted about 4:00PM yesterday.

BTW, I think this thread's title should read "2011 Fire Season".....otherwise it could be 2011 baseball season or who knows what without opening the thread.

Well, maybe we'll educate the sports fans, then. Pretty smoky this afternoon, but not as bad as last week. The fire season in the White Mtns. and Gila Wilderness is almost certain to be very active this year. Hope for an early monsoon.

I'm afraid CA mightl be in for it as well...

PLC92084 wrote:

hippiepunkpirate wrote:BTW, I think this thread's title should read "2011 Fire Season".....otherwise it could be 2011 baseball season or who knows what

...would there be a season for feral cats? :STP:

I knew it. Before I opened the thread I knew it. In fact, I was trying to think of a suitable response.

One thing good about fires: they'll scare the cats out of the bushes. Then the scary NRA militia types can get in some target practice, in the nude, since it will be too hot for camis. Then they will be able to set up a nice taco stand in Globe...

@azbackpackr

Regarding your alleged quote... I can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of your statement...

PLC92084 wrote:@azbackpackr

Regarding your alleged quote... I can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of your statement...

I looked this up, hoping to find that J. Edgar Hoover or Richard Nixon had said it first. First hit was....HAZ! None of the other hits were the exact wording. Hmmm...

That active fire map is very interesting. I guess the Santa Ritas are getting hit again. Yet another fire as of yesterday.

Oh, is it going to be 2002/2003 all over again? I hope not.

Another good site to read about fires as they happen...

My other source is my mom and sister... both dispatch all stuff needed on the fires... My sister is in Northern CA. and my mom is based here in AZ but travels all the US. She is down dispatching the one in S. AZ from the Tucson office now...

azbackpackr wrote:Oh, is it going to be 2002/2003 all over again? I hope not.

Second that! Let's hope no idiots go off and get lost with no "survival supplies" except cigarettes and lighter this year ...

cactuscat wrote:

azbackpackr wrote:Oh, is it going to be 2002/2003 all over again? I hope not.

Second that! Let's hope no idiots go off and get lost with no "survival supplies" except cigarettes and lighter this year ...

Yeah, and add to that, SHE WAS NOT LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the news helicopter fanned the flames. And they reported she was NOT LOST when they were picking her up, information which they quickly suppressed later on.

...just closed down the Lincoln National Forest due to high fire danger... we will probably not be allowed in until the first rains hit... six to eight weeks away??