Dignitaries visit the Wallow fire

Walker and Salazar at Wallow fire
Area Command briefing Wallow fire 6-18-2011
Area Commander Jim Loach, on the left, briefs Rep. Jeff Flake, Sen. John McCain, and Tom Harbour, Director of Fire and Aviation for the USFS. June 18, 2011. Photo by USFS.

Managers of the Wallow fire spent parts of Saturday and Monday briefing dignitaries that visited the fire area.

McCain, Tidwell, Harbour at Wallow fire
Sen. John McCain, Thomas Tidwell (Chief of the Forest Service), and Tom Harbour (Director of Fire and Aviation, USFS). June 18, 2011. Photo by USFS.
Walker and Salazar at Wallow fire
Norm Walker, one of the four Incident Commanders on the Wallow fire, briefs Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar on June 20, 2011. Photo: US Army Pfc Danielle J. Sargent AZNG

More information about the Wallow fire.

Updated progression map of the Wallow fire.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

7 thoughts on “Dignitaries visit the Wallow fire”

  1. Any one who has been around really large, media-focused wildfires knows what a pain in the arse it is when “dignitaries” show up. Be in Yellowstone in 1988, Montana in 2000 or Arizona in 2011, their publicity-seeking trips complicate the lives of on-the-ground fire personnel for no apparent good. Mike Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Dubya, John McCain – do us all a favor and stay home.

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  2. Very interesting how the press blew this so out of proportion. The press used a very honest and straight forward statement from an info person and twisted it into a controversy.

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  3. Hello I just wanted to let you know you posted the picture i took of Secretary Salazar and spelled my name incorrectly.

    Its Pfc. Danielle J. Sargent

    Thanks
    😉

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    1. Sorry, and thanks for the correction. And good job on the photos, by the way.

      I’m curious. How does a person from the AZNG (Arizona National Guard?) wind up taking official photos at the Wallow fire?

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      1. Well, agencies from all over have been asked to help out. I’m a public affairs specialist with the 123rd IMPAD in Arizona ARNG and the state sent out a request for two people from our unit to help out and I volunteered. I was the Apache County PIO in Springerville and attended the community meeting that Secretary Salazar was at and brought my camera of course.

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  4. Is it me or did the USFS let McCain hang by himself when he said that some fires had been set by Illegals? Anyone that lives on the border knows that is the case. He does not look impressed in these photos. Great to see Harbour and Tidwell trying to be friends with the Senator. Personal opinion is that I am not impressed with two of the three.

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    1. I’m thinking that Senator McCain was playing to his base when he jumped on the brown-skinned illegals that start some wildfires. What he didn’t mention that some fires are also started by target shooters; ATV off-roaders; loggers; smokers; lost white women (can you spell “Chediski”??). Oops, better not talk about those voters! We need to keep the converstaion about wildfires focused on ecosystems, costs, damages and most importantly, firefighter safety!

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