Another Fire

[JohnP]

Reported yesterday evening, when we went to bed it had burned 500 acres.  As of a few hours ago it is up to 1,700, conditions are bad as we are having high winds and the planes can't fly.  Lastreport was no containment, burning unabated...

[possumal]

Dang, John P, that is rough.  Hope you guys catch a break on that one.

[JohnP]

This fire is going crazy.  From 1,700 just two hours ago to 7,700. 

TUCSON - The School Canyon Fire has grown to an estimated 7,700 acres burning in the vicinity of School Canyon, in Coronado National Forest, near the U.S./Mexico border.

According to the National Incident Information System, the School Canyon Fire started in Mexico, and has burned onto the United States portion of the Sierra Vista Ranger District. It is burning in grass and brush, and has forced the evacuation of Parker Canyon lake campground. No structures are threatened at this time.

So far, 12 fire engines, four water tenders, four heavy air tankers, one air attack unit, two heavy "sky crane" helicopters, and two 20-person hand crews have been committed to this fire.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

School Canyon is one of my favorite calling places.  I can sit on a little knoll looking into Mexico with the caller just inside our border. As they sneak into the US looking for a free handout I kill the little SOB's.  I jut imagine they have two legs instead of four.
Although they have seven aircraft committed none are flying due to the winds. 

[FOsteology]

Damn, that's not good. I hope they can get it under control.

[Hidehunter]

Yeah I hope they get it under control to.  It amazes me how fast these things can spread.

[Ladobe]

Hope they get it contained fast, that is a beautiful place with a very diverse population of living things, some that are found no where else in the US.   

I've been in that area a few times over the years to study life histories of and collect Lepidoptera and Coleoptera.   I usually got near where the fire is towards the end of those 2-3-4 week trips for a few days days after doing Madera and Box Canyons, "border hoping" further west in the Pajarito's and beyond.   When I finally worked east, after doing Patagonia/Sonoita for a couple days I always actually came in from the Sierra Vista side to do Garden, Sawmill, Miller Peak, Sunnyside, Bodie and Parker Canyons a few days for the huge influx of species they get from as far away as Central & South America.     Lots of access roads there, but also a lot of wilderness area without it, and some of it is really nasty stuff to get to and through.   Lots of those poke you, sting you, cut you or bite you places for fire crews to deal with.   Assume they can get plenty of manpower from Fort Huachuca if they need it though.

As a side, on one trip there early October early 90's I was stalked and semi-attacked by a lion while hiking back out of the Miller Peak wilderness down Sawmill Canyon's narrow two track.   I was only a few hundred yards up from the old Boy Scout cabin at the mouth where I had left my truck.   A net handle in the face changed its mind though and sent it packing.   As a civilian the net was all I had along for protection on the base, up until then.   Later that day down in Garden Canyon collecting livestock my buddy came up to see how the studies were going - a senior officer at base admin who was also a Lepidopterist.    When I told him about the lion he asked me to come down to Admin on my way out to fill out an incident report for him.    He told me that they were having troops attacked and injured fairly regular then by them while out on maneuvers, and were building data to get the OK to eliminate some of them.    He knew me, knew I would hike many miles from roads alone into wilderness areas, so he also gave me a permit to carry a handgun on the reservation from then on, not something many civilians can get.   But I never needed it, all I ran into after that and on later trips was the endless rattlesnakes, and I don't kill them.

[HaMeR]

Dang Mr John!! I sure hope you're not in the line of fire again & that it is burning mostly unpopulated areas there. Good Luck!!!!!!!!

[JohnP]

Praise the Lord, we got RAIN!  About four hours ago the fire was 75% contained.  I would imagine that by sun up it will be out. 

Ladobe you were in my neighborhood, Garden Canyon is on the fort and Sunnyside goes from the east slope of the Huachuca's over the top and down the west slope.  Miller is the canyon directly south of our place and got hit hard in last years fire and flooding.  We spend a lot of time out at Parker, good quail country and lots of predators.  Strange you should mention the lion problems on the fort and the need to build a case to hunt them.  The fort has always allowed lion hunting and with an open season.  I have never heard of a lion attack on the fort nor in he surrounding communities.  If you ever back in the area please let me know and we can get out and do some exploring.  Had to look up Lepidopters and Coleoptera but we have many of them here on our property also - I think.

[Ladobe]

John, happy to hear the fire is coming under control.   I have many fond memories of that area.

While Ramsey and Madera Canyons are the well known places for bird influx, Garden and Sawmill are best known for their influx of southern species of leps in that general area, and the only place some of those species have a successful brood or more in the US.    They are not as good of an influx place as Sycamore or Pena Blanca Canyons in the Pajarito's, but at the Fort I never gave much concern to running into illegals and drug runners crossing like is so common in the Pajarito's.   I can't count the number of times when collecting between Yank Tank and the border in Sycamore or near the border in Pena Blanca when bands of Mexicans sneaking into the country walked up on me - day or night.     Or how many times I saw or talked to border patrol in that area.     I was always armed with a 44MAG open carry when in the Pajarito's (and other border locations) because the "Coyotes" that lead the bands and the drug runners were usually armed.   But the illegals all almost always just ran back the way they'd come from when they saw me.   The only in my face with an armed Coyote was at night very near the border in Pena Blanca Canyon... I defused it with a little friendly Spanish that gave me an opportunity to take his AK rifle away from him before he ran for the border (and gave it to border patrol the next day when I saw them). 

I don't know anymore about the lion attacks at the Fort other than what my Army friend told me way back then - IOW how many times or for how many years.   But the intent implied by him was to take out a large number (or all) of them on the reservation in force by Army personal with no regards to game laws.  Also have no idea what the outcome was.    He was no longer stationed there when I took later trips there.  The last time I was at the Fort doing leps was about 2001/2002.

I travelled to do the leps worldwide for well over 40 years, but don't do them anymore, and haven't since 2005 because of health issues.   Thanks for the invite, but I'll most likely never even get in AZ again (only 30 miles away) let alone way down SE in it again.

L.

[possumal]

That's great news, John P.  Hope you get some more rain right away. 

[JohnP]

Fire is out, just a few hotspots left, crew is heading back home.

[FOsteology]

Glad to hear the fire has been contained and almost completely extinguished.

Last year we had a severe drought, and numerous fires broke out statewide. We had a couple break out a little too close to home, but fortunately our immediate area was spared.

[Ladobe]

Great to hear... looks like the fire crew saved at least one Battus philinor that's flying along with them.