Wildfire Today

Whitewater-Baldy fire grows to 82,252 acres; 12 cabins burned

Bill GabbertMay 25, 2012May 17, 2022Uncategorized2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire, New Mexico3 Comments

Whitewater-Baldy fire 0800 MDT May 25, 2012 — Map of the Whitewater-Baldy fire, showing heat detected by satellites at 8:00 a.m. MDT May 25, 2012

The Whitewater-Baldy fire in southwest New Mexico grew on Thursday to 82,252 acres. The Incident Management Team announced that 12 cabins have burned as well as 13 outbuildings. Below is an update provided by the IMTeam on InciWeb:

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Friday, May 25, 2012 – AM Update: The Whitewater-Baldy Complex grew yesterday to a total of 82,252 acres. Fire behavior was not as extreme as was observed the previous two days. The complex continues to burn in steep, rugged terrain consisting of mixed conifer and continues to be primarily wind and terrain driven. The Whitewater Fire merged with the Baldy Fire on Wednesday, May 23, causing suppression and incident management forces to combine into Whitewater-Baldy Complex.

The fire is currently burning on 3 Ranger Districts, the Glenwood, Reserve and Wilderness Ranger Districts along with an area of private land known as Willow Creek Subdivision. Twelve cabins have been confirmed as lost in this subdivision along with 13 out-buildings. There were NO additional structures lost in the last 24 hours in the Willow Creek Subdivision. Personnel from New Mexico State Forestry and U.S. Forest made all necessary contacts with effected landowners yesterday. Structural protection and damage assessment continue in Willow Creek and structure protection assessments were also initiated in the village of Mogollon.

Due to extreme fire behavior, proximity to private land, and continued high winds forecasted, Tony Sciacca’s Southwest Type 1 Fire Management Team was ordered and arrived in Reserve yesterday. They will assume command of the complex on Saturday morning.

The complex remains at 0% containment as firefighters are unable to directly suppress the fire due to extreme fire behavior and rough terrain. They were, however, able to directly and successfully attack a few spot fires out ahead of the fire on the north end. Crews will continue their hard work today in preparing fire lines across and along the Mineral Creek drainage. Indirect fire line was constructed to the north from Bursum Road to Log Canyon trail connecting to a jeep trail.

Winds are predicted to continue to challenge fire fighters today and tomorrow, shifting from a southwesterly wind to more of a southern wind. Firefighters will be carefully monitoring winds as they continue their efforts. Smoke impacts continue to be substantial in communities to the east and northeast of the complex. A voluntary-evacuation of the town of Mogollon continues to be in effect. Approximately 506 personnel are currently assigned to the fire.

See the latest update on the Whitewater-Baldy fire, dated May 27, 2012.

World’s smallest fire truck?

Bill GabbertMay 25, 2012May 24, 2012Uncategorized

Is this the world’s smallest fire truck?

Here is a comment left on YouTube from a person who said he was the driver of the “truck”:

This Truck is an old “people mover” golf cart converted to a “fire truck” It is used for parades to drive sparky around and to drive little kids around making them feel like they are in a real truck. It is NOT a brush fire truck and will never be used to fight an actual fire. It is VERY popular with kids and with the parents. The smiles on kids faces are priceless when they hop in and put the lights on. How do i know…im the driver in this video.

Railroad pays $3.3 million to settle wildfire suit

Bill GabbertMay 25, 2012May 24, 2012Uncategorizedrailroad

The 2008 Grayling fire was one of a few that were capable of jumping a 4-lane highway and median. This photo shows the fire as it spread toward Grayling after it jumped across I-75. DNR photo.

In a story that Wildfire Today has been following since February, 2010, a railroad company in Michigan has agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle a suit filed by a landowner over damage caused by a 2008 wildfire. This comes after the company, Lake State Railway in Michigan, pleaded no contest on January 2, 2011 to criminal charges of operating a locomotive without a spark arrestor and was ordered to pay $294,752 in restitution and a $1,000 fine after their railroad engine started the fire that burned 1,300 acres of forest, several homes, and other buildings near Grayling, Michigan. The same locomotive engine was suspected of starting 11 other fires in Alpena, Michigan on April 5, 2010.

On September 17, 2010 the Grayling Game Club filed a civil suit against the railroad. During the fire in 2008, 500 acres of the club’s property burned, in addition to several cabins. Michigan law allows for the club to recover triple the value of the property destroyed, which was estimated to be over $1 million. The club was represented by Southfield, Michigan attorney Paul F. Doherty. Mr. Doherty told Wildfire Today that Lake State Railway paid $3.3 million to settle the claims of the Game Club and two members who lost cabins in the fire.

Often, railroad companies get away with starting wildfires. Few are investigated, and even fewer result in settlements or prosecution.

Maps of wildfire smoke, May 24, 2012

Bill GabbertMay 24, 2012May 24, 2012Uncategorized

Smoke map, 844 pm MDT, May 24, 2012 — Smoke map, 8:44 p.m. MDT, May 24, 2012

Smoke from the Whitewater-Baldy fire in New Mexico is combining with smoke from fires in Mexico to create some areas of dense smoke in the Mid-South, including areas in the states of Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois.

Smoke from Whitewater-Baldy fire,, 730 pm MDT, May 24, 2012 — Smoke from the Whitewater-Baldy fire in New Mexico blows toward Texas at 7:30 p.m. MDT, May 24, 2012

Rapidly spreading fire near Julian, CA causing evacuations

Bill GabbertMay 24, 2012August 25, 2019Uncategorized3 Comments

Banner fire, 540 p.m. May 24 — Banner fire, 5:40 p.m. PT, May 24. Looking north from Mt. Laguna. HPWREN photo.

UPDATE at 8:00 a.m. PT, May 25:

The fire has burned 2,500 acres and is 20% contained. The evacuations in the Shelter Valley area have been lifted. Highways S-2 and 78 have been reopened. The photo below was taken at 9:04 a.m. PT, May 25.

Banner fire, 904 a.m. May 25 — Banner fire area, 9:04 a.m. PT, May 25. Looking north from Mt. Laguna. HPWREN photo.

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UPDATED at 7:07 p.m. PT, May 24, 2012

A fire in the desert east of Julian, California (map) is spreading rapidly and causing evacuations in the Shelter Valley area. As of 5:45 p.m. PT, May 24, CAL FIRE was calling the Banner fire 1,200 acres. A strong west wind is pushing the fire onto Granite Mountain while approximately 100 homes are being evacuated in Shelter Valley. The fire is near Scissors Crossing close to the intersection of Highways S-2 and 78.

By 10 p.m. Thursday the relative humidity should increase to 76 percent, which will have a dampening effect on the fire. The minimum relative humidity on Friday will be around 39, which is pretty high for the desert. The wind is expected to continue into Friday night, blowing at 20 mph Thursday night gusting to 31, and increasing during the day on Friday, peaking at 31 mph and gusting to 49.

Many firefighting resources are at scene or responding, including 40 engines, 6 air tankers, 6 helicopters, and 8 hand crews. One strike team of engines is coming from northern California.

A web camera on Mt. Laguna is pointed toward the fire.

Thanks go out to Lone Ranger

Firebreaks vs no firebreaks

Bill GabbertMay 24, 2012December 2, 2017Uncategorizedfuel break1 Comment

A rather strange article in the Magic Valley Times-News in Idaho appears to advocate the construction and maintenance of fire breaks as well as the position that frequently they are ineffective in stopping the spread of fires. It may just be the way the reporter wrote the article, but it says the Bureau of Land Management “is looking to increase its fire fuel break efforts for up to 60 miles in the Jarbidge area”, but also indicates they are sometimes ineffective and quotes a BLM fire ecologist as saying: “There’s a rub though. At what point do you just leave the area alone and focus on rehab [after a fire]? It’s just a matter of time that all this will burn again.”

Thanks go out to Dick

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