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Many observations of arsonists in cars were reported during the fires in southern California last year. It would be easy to overwhelm the firefighting resources by lighting up the western U.S. as summer approaches. As asymmetric warfare goes, it is hard to do better than committing thousands of people in a firefight that starts with single match.

Cyanide Spill in Romanian River
Ecolinks News Service

ROMANIA, April 1, 2004 - Cyanhydric acetone (cyanide) leaked from a chemical plant, near Bucharest, into Somuzul Mare a tributary that leads into the Danube. The spill threatens fish and creates possible health hazards to residents.

The spill, leaving locals unable to use water from the river or wells and unable to eat fish from the river, are accustomed to the restrictions after a similar incident in 2001. The police are investigating the cause of the spill.

The toxic waste leaked from a storage tank at the Metadet chemical plant in the town of Falticeni. The plant has been closed since 2000 but tanks storing chemicals remain. "We estimate that 10 tons of toxic substances leaked into the river," said Ioan Jelev of the Environmental Ministry. Somuzul Mare, a tributary of the Siret River, is located 300 miles north of Bucharest.

Environmental experts are monitoring the situation, making sure the cyanide does not contaminate the Siret River. The team is periodically taking samples downstream, assessing the amount of cyanide in the water. Preliminary data shows a concentration of about 3.0 milligrams per liter, way above the European Union's allowed level of 0.005 milligrams.

http://www.earthvision.net/ColdFusion/News_Page1.cfm?NewsID=26615&start=1

The Pine, Az fire is now 2,200 acres, cause still unknown.

The Gila Bend fire is still out of control, Burning in the Gila River bottom. Cause unknown.

As per Kingman radio, at 1 PM, on KAAA.

Gila Bend, is on I-8, about half way between Yuma and Phoenix.

We are now expecting rain tonight from the west coast and the wind is blowing 35 MPH, steady, (per radio and the banging going on out doors.)

An out of control fire in the Gila River bottom, could burn for over 100 miles, that is the distance that I knew, walked and studied in the 1970's.

It is thick with the Salt Cedar tree/shrub, and so much undergrowth, that the largest Caterpillars are used to keep the center channel open for the water flow.

Rattlesnakes, as large as a mans thigh, Bill saw them, I have seen the tracks........

Mountain Lions, with paw prints in the sand, as large as a dinner plate.......and a half grown one that raced the truck for several miles, just to prove how fast he could run.

They sound like a Siamese cat, and yes, Ruth wandered around calling "Here Kitty" over and over.........

We were just about east of Gila Bend, in the Gila River bed, attempting to find the way to cross it, so we could go the the site that the Oatman Family and wagon train was massacred at in the 1800's. Did not get across, as we chickened out, when we reached the sandy area and saw the size of the cat and snake tracks, then when we started to leave, had the race.

The Oatman girls were later traded to the Mohave Indians and that is where the mining town of Oatman, got its name.

The Spaniards mined for Gold in the 1700's and earlier, a bit further east of Oatman Flats and there is also an Indian Newspaper Rock in the general area, it is a small rock mound in the middle of a field, covered with Indian writing.

Patton also had his training camp there, in WW2.

Ok, you might as well know the rest of the area's history, it was a good area for the TB patients in the early years of the 1900's.

It was thought that the heat/sun caused the chemicals to be released from the Creosote Bushes and that they healed TB patients.