Arizona fire threat grows; no end in sight

[marmar]

By Ashley Powers, Nicholas Riccardi and Julie Cart
Los Angeles Times

June 9, 2011


Thousands of Arizona residents fled a voracious wildfire Wednesday that has devoured a stretch of sparsely populated pinelands the size of Phoenix and shows no sign of stopping.

The Wallow fire, which began May 29, has blackened nearly 389,000 acres, making it the second-largest blaze in state history. It seemed poised to surpass the record-holder from 2002: Because of high winds and bone-dry terrain, the fire was 0% contained, meaning firefighters had not even begun to hem it in, much less get it under control.

Southeast Arizona's topography is some of the most spectacular in the Southwest: a land of Zane Grey westerns, a rugged and steep landscape that rises to 11,000 feet. Nearby is evidence of human habitation stretching back 12,000 years.

Also in the area and threatened by the conflagration: power lines ferrying electricity from the Palo Verde nuclear plant near Phoenix to southern New Mexico and West Texas. An El Paso utility company warned its 372,000 customers of possible rolling blackouts if the lines burn. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-arizona-fires-20110609,0,4031169.story

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Get rid of the Sheriff, AZ. Gawd is watching!

[w8liftinglady]

2. this is serious. My sister lives in Far West Texas. they have run OUT of water.

[marmar]

3. I was reading a few stories.....I don't think most people in the rest of the country.....

..... realize how serious the situation is.

[Avant Guardian]

4. This is only the beginning

It aint going away, it will just get more and more extreme over the next few years.

[w8liftinglady]

5. exactly- and Summer is Traditionally dry in these areas

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Ran out of water because......?

[w8liftinglady]

7. see below-written in April

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-environmental-news/water-supply/drought-plagued-midland-texas-is-running-out-of/

MIDLAND — The oil business is booming, but there is something more precious in Midland right now: water.

Since the beginning of October, barely one-tenth of an inch of rain has fallen on the oil and gas capital of West Texas. Two of the three reservoirs that Midland and other Permian Basin communities rely on for most of their water are getting close to empty. The third is below 30 percent of capacity.

[madamesilverspurs]

8. My nephew is one of the firefighters.

His dad, my brother, is a firefighter in another state. My nephew called his dad as his crew was heading for a brief break; he says that they're really tired, but committed to getting the job done. Here in northern Colorado we've been getting some of the smoke, more than a little disconcerting.


-

[libodem]

9. God is turning that

Bigot Governor's state into Hell. Brewer is an incompetent louse. Let them secede from the Union after they char. They hate the US government and federal aide. F them. Traitors just like Palin and her scalding farts of criticism toward our sitting "War" President. Seditious cretins.