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Post by Andorinha on Jun 13, 2020 9:41:43 GMT -6
Good News: Yesterday's hardest hit zone, Oro Valley/ Catalina Hills or North Tucson, about 8 to 10 miles south of us, escaped nicely -- people being allowed back into their homes now. Bad News: Part of the fire has decided to move directly north through Catalina State Park. There are a few houses in the vicinity, and a new evacuation zone has been established about four miles south of us in SaddleBrooke and a mile west. There is some concern that the town of Catalina itself (two and a half miles south of us) may have some fire threat. Think I'll go water the yard... No smoke here, not much wind either. Fire is up to 7500 acres today, others report nearly 10,000. Luckily we are nearly surrounded by golf courses -- which have sprinklers. www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061220_bighorn_catalina_evac/catalina-evacuations-ordered-as-bighorn-fire-burns-north-friday/
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Post by Stormrider on Jun 13, 2020 10:27:41 GMT -6
Do you have grass? Or other bushes or growth? Or is just keeping things moist what you need to do?
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Post by fanuidhol on Jun 13, 2020 13:15:06 GMT -6
Do your best to stay safe. And keep us informed!
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Post by Andorinha on Jun 13, 2020 16:41:17 GMT -6
We are lucky in our community, SaddleBrooke, having desert landscaping, mainly gravel. Two trees in our yard are near the roof line of the house -- just precautionary, but I hosed both down well, and will do so again before we go to bed. Surprisingly little smoke in our neighborhood, the wind is mainly moving to the north, but still eastward enough to funnel the heavy fumes up a valley slot that is some two miles away. As of 3 PM, the fire lines just south of Catalina are still holding, with the fire being forced somewhat to the east, out into the open BLM scrublands and away from the town. 10,400 acres burned so far. Some fear that the scrubland directly east of us may become involved later today/ tonight -- but the Oro Valley, a sandy bottomed wash, should help make a natural fireline to keep any flames out in the fields, and around 1/2 mile away from all but a few isolated ranch and mining structures. Some fear that further movement north might threaten the next town up from us, Oracle, about 2000 people. But all the officers I've heard on TV and online are confident that they can keep the Catalina and Saddlebrooke areas safely cordoned from the fire. www.kold.com/2020/06/13/update-evacuation-order-effect-near-catalina/
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Post by fanuidhol on Jun 14, 2020 4:24:20 GMT -6
Might not hurt to hose down the roof while you hose down the trees.... Good luck. Keep safe. Am keeping my fingers crossed for the communities there. Praying too.
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Post by Andorinha on Jun 14, 2020 9:58:10 GMT -6
The firelines along the south of Catalina have held up nicely. One section of the town, extreme southeast portion of Catalina, is still evacuated but no structures lost. Three cheers for the fire-fighters! 90 % of the town's population are still at home, only under a precautionary alert, asked to be ready to evacuate if something unforeseen happens. The winds shifted back into their normal flow pattern, more movement toward the east and north rather than yesterday's straight northern movement. This east-by northeast flow is pushing the flames uphill into the wilderness areas, up Cargodera and Romero valleys towards Cathedral Peak. I do not see how they can stop it from continuing toward the east, the terrain is too vertical and rough to set up counter-fire lines or get many fire-fighters in there. Further east and north the terrain is less rugged, and the two lane Catalina Highway may be the only useful line at which to stop the flames. The town of Summerhaven, way up on the highest peak, Mount Lemmon, was burned out in the last major fire, back in 2003, so the fire-fighters will beef up their presence there to create a protective perimeter just in case the winds shift to a more directly northern flow again. Sol and I went out at 10 PM to an isolated hill that stands some 300 feet above our community. Got a spectacular view of the advancing flames running up eastward in three separate, main tongues. We saw nothing to our immediate south in Catalina where our main threat of yesterday seems to have died down. The north Tucson area of the fire, on the front range, is contained now, but no word on whether the evacuation order has yet been lifted. Thanks to over 500 fire-fighters, people here are feeling a great relief! www.kold.com/2020/06/13/update-evacuation-order-effect-near-catalina/
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Post by fanuidhol on Jun 14, 2020 20:07:59 GMT -6
I am sure the firefighters are relieved that the fire has turned away from communities, also. They have an extremely difficult job and dangerous, too. Stay safe!
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Post by Stormrider on Jun 15, 2020 6:52:27 GMT -6
A tough job, being a 🔥 fighter, and very dangerous. An unrelenting week of keeping the fire at bay and trying to get it stopped.
I imagine standing out there watching it was sort of like seeing Mordor destroyed.
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Post by Andorinha on Jun 15, 2020 11:56:27 GMT -6
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Post by fanuidhol on Jun 15, 2020 12:34:08 GMT -6
Yes a Mordor-like landscape, but hopefully with the next rain or two, life will spring back. Sorry to hear that communities are in danger again. Hope all will be ok.
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Post by Andorinha on Jun 16, 2020 9:09:02 GMT -6
The spread of the fire has somewhat abated overnight, more humidity in the air and lesser breezes have helped. Containment is now reported as 30%, and the range of fire damage is about 15,000 acres, and not growing as much as feared. Summerhaven, Palisades Ranger Station, and several hundred scattered cabins up among the peaks are still under a precautionary warning, but have not yet received mandatory evacuation notices. Down here in the valley we still have occasional drifts of moderate smoke, but no spreading flames to worry about.
A BIG Thanks to the firefighters!
From KOLD News Tucson:
"Threats to the East Golder Ranch and Saddlebrook communities have greatly diminished due to the direct suppression work conducted by crews and air operations over the past several days. Residents will continue to see firefighters in the area patrolling and doing additional preparation around communities that border the north and south edges of the fire."
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Post by Stormrider on Jun 16, 2020 9:50:09 GMT -6
Very good news. Firefighters are doing a great job.
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Post by fanuidhol on Jun 17, 2020 5:48:42 GMT -6
I just looked on the KOLD website and saw that some areas, including Summerhaven, have been told to evacuate. So sorry to see that.
Keep safe! Hope the fire continues to steer clear of your area.
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Post by Stormrider on Jun 17, 2020 6:05:23 GMT -6
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Post by Andorinha on Jun 17, 2020 16:43:15 GMT -6
The whole top of the mountain, on our side, is gone. Heaviest smokes I've seen, black at the base, oily looking masses, then a sickly yellow hue that finally turns back into regular smokey grey-white some 3000 feet above the invisible peaks. The winds grew to 25-30 mph this afternoon, and the flames just raced up toward the top. Firefighters are still up there, (what can they be breathing?) -- they are working around the telescopes, radar domes, TV towers, and in the narrow slot of Summerhaven's own valley.
KOLD News: "Fire is established along Samaniego Ridge, and crews are closely monitoring activity around the communities of Saddlebrooke and East Golder Ranch. Firefighters are prepared to engage the fire if it begins to move down from the ridgelines."
Parts of Catalina have been evacuated, the outlying, isolated houses, but not yet the town itself. Saddlebrooke is on "Ready Alert." The Samaniego Ridge, is the long mountain spur just in front of us. Usually fires burn more slowly as they descend, and it is about a 4000 foot drop to the Canada Del Oro, and that stream bed will be the last natural, fire brake before any flames run into the belts of our golf courses. Wind direction is more directly northerly today, not much of a shove towards us to the west, so I doubt we will have to evacuate though we have been cautioned to have valuables, legal documents, prized possessions, wives and pets "ready" to go...
Given the prevailing wind directions, I still think the flames will move north and east, up the final slopes to Summerhaven, then further east -- we will see.
So far, I have heard of no fatalities -- fingers staying crossed!
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