Arizona use to look good

[Scott]

Getting close to New Mexico power lines, yea, it comes from the Nuc Plant west of Phoenix.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7368847n


Migh be man made??

[bigbob29]

Wow better hope for some rain ASAP.

[boobowbender]

hope your safe. Thats just mother nature doing her thing, cleaning stuff up.
Bigbob, Are there wildfires in Australia?
None in WI, but when i lived in yellowstone the lodge pole pines needed fire to germinate to seeds in the pinecones

[Destroyer]

hope your safe.

X2.

Fires have been terrible here.

[bigbob29]

As destroyer said there are terrible wildfires[ we call them bushfires] from time to time over here, often with massive property and human losses.An out of control fire is no good where ever it is, so thats one other thing we share.

[Scott]

update, like it doesn't make the national news. 440,000+ acres burned, and only 6% contained. They said that the burn area is the size of the state of Rhode Island. They have gone into the burn areas and said there is still plent of forest left, it's not a total disaster. There is/was a beautiful camp ground at Big Lake, and a new section opened up 1-2 years ago. It see's plenty of summer visitors, The lake gets stocked with trout and has some nice hold overs. I went there 4 years ago. Sure was nice coming out of the mountain into the meadow area, every time we saw deer and elk.

a link and some photo's of the lake, and camp grounds http://www.biglakeaz.com/Big%20Lake%...20Gallery.html

[bigbob29]

Looks like a great spot for fishing. In spite of all the burned out area, at least nature has a way of regenerating if man doesnt interfere too much.

[MLN1963]

One of my buddies works for this company, 10 tanker, who lay down retardant and stop the spread of fires. It is amazing the amount of resistance they are getting from state and federal government. The mentality is let it burn, it's cheaper and will grow back.

The cost is high, but less than most houses, not to mention out buildings on the property, vehicles, roads, animals and the forest saved. People during one big fire in California were wanting to pay out of their own pockets to save their (multi)million dollar homes and they couldn't because their houses were located on federal property.

It's a shame that such a service is offered but never called out early, if at all, but only when enough damage has occurred.

[Scott]

We spent last summer (weekends) up in Overgaard. That was part of the area that had the 600,000+ acre fire several years ago. The stories I was told, it's a wonder none of the federal workes were shot. They didn't give a shiat if your house burned and they could have saved it. I just bought a 1/4 acre up there, only a few trees, and close to a golf course, so if it burns again I won't have to worry. There are hundreds of home sitting in the thick forrest's around the small town. It's growing back, with plenty of young oak trees coming up. Befor they would have been choked out by all of the pines. And last year the forrest service planted hundreds of new saplings. It should look good in 15 years, just in time for retirement, and walking through the woods.

[Destroyer]

The mentality is let it burn, it's cheaper and will grow back.

And they can make more $$ from building new homes, taxes, permits, etc.