Eastern Arizona wildfire displaces up to 3,000 people

[defendandprotect]

Eastern Arizona wildfire displaces up to 3,000 people

By David Schwartz David Schwartz – Tue Jun 7, 4:15 pm ET
PHOENIX (Reuters) – A stubborn wildfire in eastern Arizona that has forced the evacuation of as many as 3,000 people flared out of control for a 10th day on Tuesday and advanced on two more mountain towns near New Mexico.

Fire officials said more than 2,300 firefighters faced another tough day of fierce winds that threatened to blow the massive blaze northward and closer to the communities of Eager and Springerville, with an estimated 7,500 residents combined.

Fire officials have put both towns in Arizona's White Mountains region on alert for possible evacuation on Monday. The small town of Luna, New Mexico, also falls under the pre-evacuation alert.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110607/us_nm/us_wildfire_arizona

[Abq_Sarah]

1. The Wallow fire

It's big and they've had no luck at containment thanks to the dry conditions and wind. The smoke is drifting across New Mexico and causing more haze than I've seen here in the last 7 years.

[solara]

2. It has been increasingly difficult to breathe and is quite hot in Albuquerque-in the 90s

I can't use my swamp cooler because of the smoke, and even though my windows are closed, the air in my house is still very smoky. I have seen ash falling too- sporadically -like a very light snow. Albuquerque usually has a vista of mountains surrounding it, the closest being the Sandias to the East, which are normally very visible. But, even during the day when the smoke is not as evident, the Sandias are still just. gone. Very disorienting. So, it's very eerie here and each day becomes increasingly more uncomfortable.

As awful as it is here, I feel even worse for the people in Arizona who are so close to the fire and whose lives are being seriously impacted. I feel so sad for the trees and the critters who are lost too.

This fire is a terrible, terrible thing.


:(

[XOKCowboy]

3. That's a beautiful part of Arizona also...

Most people don't realize there are mountains and pine forests in AZ.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[MrDiaz]

5. I wonder

If Texas will recieve any federal funds for our disaster down here. It's like they just dont care.

[randr]

6. The air in Colorado has finally cleared

I can't imagine how bad it must be close to the fires. We have had around a 15 mile visibility and incessant winds over the last 4 to 5 days. Today is the first sun rise without an awesome red glow.

[defendandprotect]

7. K/R