Update on BigHorn Fire in Tucson

Can't believe it has been a month since the fire started near us from a lightning strike on the Catalina Mountains.  As of this morning the fire is at 58% contained, over 118,000 acres burned, still burning on the east and south of Mount Lemmon.  At one point there were over 1100 personnel assigned to the fire, not all firefighters, but in support, logistics, pilots, supply personnel, etc.  Still a lot of people.

Smoke in the distance is the BigHorn fire

Fire retardant being dropped

Every morning we would log onto the Bighorn website and hear the morning report, explaining what transpired during the night, the plans going forward for the day.  In the evening a community meeting would be held with media, broadcast on Zoom, to give a more detail explanation of the fire.  Very very impressive with the information, the level of intensity, the whole process.

Every day we would watch/hear the large helicopters taking off or landing not far from us - they are the helicopters that carry people and supplies plus dragging a bucket of either fire retardant or water up to the fire hot spots.  Airplanes of various makes and sizes flying overhead lining up to dump from their bellies.

As I sit here and look out the window, I see huge red stripes on the mountain where retardant was dumped.  Will probably stay there as reminder of the fire long after the fire has been put out.  I believe when the monsoons come - which they are predicting any day now - those rains will wash the red gashes away.

We have the Northern Rockies Incident team here, the best of the best as it was described to all.  They are part of the National Incident Command Center which is headquartered in Boise Idaho, but the Northern Rockies group are out of Missoula Montana.  Years ago we toured that facility and was impressed with the center, now they are here.  The BigHorn fire is also the largest fire currently going on in the United States.  A few days ago some 200 personnel were moved to the north east area of Arizona, just south of Canyon De Chelly National Monument where another wild fire was going on.

We continue to stay put, not going camping at all for the summer.  Today it was reported that in Arizona, the COVID19 cases is the most reported of all the states, in one day it grew 40%.  Don't want to temp fate.  It has been hot - 105 plus for the last 4 weeks, we have managed to stay inside in the air conditioning, doing projects, keeping busy.   Dave has come up with a new project - sort of a 'in-dition'.  The concept sounds pretty cool - taking a small room that was designated in the original builder's plans as a utility room where the washer/dryer was planned to be to now being used as the 'cat's room' where the kitty litter and box and their food are - and his plans are to make that room into a herb/gardening room equipped with grow lights, etc.  The rest of the place is in country motif, and that room will have a faux barn door (mainly to keep the cats out of the dirt and pots).  Love projects.

Quail

Mexican Gray Wolf

We can now add another new wild animal to our list of what we see here - great horned owls.  3 of them.  Every morning before sunrise one if not 2 are sitting on our neighbor's chimney.  Sometimes a third one flies up and one or two fly away.  Sometimes one of the owls is sitting right on top of the tree up against us, and one on the chimney and they call back and forth to each other.  Pretty cool.

We have seen a Mexican Gray wolf strolling right past us, in the middle of the road - just stares at us as it goes by. And javelinas have been at the flower pots in the front and the planters have now moved to the gated back yard where they cannot eat them.  Something - we think a coatamundi - which is a small animal with a long tail and it's ringed, was chewing on the bushes in front early yesterday morning.  Boogers.  Quails are very abundant - families with their kids come to the back yard and eat the quail food we have put out.  Cute little things with their top-knots.