Our Mountain is Burning: Death Watch for the Catalinas

Self | July 3, 2003 | Havisham

[Havisham]

For two weeks I have watched my mountain burn. Today was the worst so far. Bone dry, hot Santa Ana-type winds. Red flames visible from the Tucson valley and a black plume of smoke gushing out of Sabino Canyon and darkening half the basin. And yet, I am absolutely sure the Earth Firster scum are celebrating. What more has to happen before the radical environmental lawyers and their enabling judges are pushed back to their properly small role in managing the public lands?(nothing follows)

[Havisham]

Kolbe and McCain. The judges and lawyers. Criminal dithering meets criminal mischief. They are responsible but they are with us forever. It really is a death watch...

[Havisham]

correction in body: red flames not fames

[Malsua]

Just curious and don't take it the wrong way, you didn't suggest how your home was in harm's way due to greenies. While it wouldn't suprise me in the least, I'm curious.

Shrug, I'm definately for cleaning the forests of fuel and for making the forests replenishable.

[Havisham]

I didn't intend to give the impression that my home was in harm's way. My description of the inferno is from the perspective of the Tucson valley. It is my mountain in that I've lived in its collossal shadow for half a life time.

By greenies you refer to the Earth Firsters of my post? These scum first popped up in Tucson after Ed Abbey published his 'Monkey Wrench Gang' pulp novel some decades ago. Earth Firsters also do business as 'ELF' (Earth Liberation Front, a Marxist-Leninist name if ever there was). These trust funders come out of retirement to burn down McDonald's signs and high end homes under construction here. They publically rejoice when forest fires drive humans out. I take them at their word that they want to return the lands to multiculturally if not environmentally correct pre-Colombian conditions.

[HiJinx]

That explains all the smoke I see. I live in Sierra Vista, 70 miles as the crow flies southeast of the Aspen Fire. There must be an inversion layer working today, we have a solid pall of smoke covering all the mountains in the area down to about 7000'. That includes the Dragoons, Winchesters, Mules, Huachucas, and Whetstones. Some of those are closer to 90 miles away from your fire.

I know our ER (with a whopping 12 beds!) is going to be overflowing with retirees and kids with respiratory problems.

If you want to know what the difference is between properly and improperly maintained forests, and the amount of fire damage that does or does not occur, visit FReeper Ebuck's website at http://www.azfire.org and check out his side by side pictures from the Rodeo-Chedeski fire. It'll knock your socks off.

[Havisham]

If you want to know what the difference is between properly and improperly maintained forests, and the amount of fire damage that does or does not occur, visit FReeper Ebuck's website at http://www.azfire.org and check out his side by side pictures from the Rodeo-Chedeski fire. It'll knock your socks off.

Thanks, I will.

[Tijeras_Slim]

ping

[Grampa Dave]

http://www.azfire.org

Everyone, please take a minute to visit Ebuck's site for a little insight to the fire dangers that are due to the enviralist's agendas.

http://www.azfire.org

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping, but I hate to get these pings re these fires that have set up by the enviral whackos!

http://www.azfire.org

[rustbucket]

Has the fire reached the Sabino Canyon area, one of my favorite places? Also, do the saguaro cactus burn?

[FlyVet]

The fire has reached the upper reaches of Sabino Canyon. Saguaros don't actually burn, but can be damaged by fire. Around ten yrs ago, a wildfire went through part of Saguaro Nat'l Park - East. The information from biologists at the park said it would be years after the fire before they died, if they did die. Last I checked the Saguaros are still alive, but not very healthy-looking.

Today the Tucson forecast is "sunny", yet we are overcast from horizon to horizon. That's how bad the smoke is. It's really looking like the whole mountain range will burn before this is over.

[rustbucket]

Thanks. Interesting map of the burned area below (from: Aspen Fire info)

[tbird1]

update
11AM press conference--
5 homes burnt during the night in Willow Canyon.
A landmark is being destroyed before our eyes.
tbird1

[Havisham]

She's been burning in upper Sabino for two days. Saguaro cactus can survive fire but the fuel load is probably too great, in this case, to prevent total devastation.