I worked in Sierra Vista today. The ride in was uneventful. A few minutes into the ride home, around 4:30 p.m., I started to see the monster and knew immediately where it was. My beloved Coronado Park, my refuge, one of the wonders of the world, is on fire.
The park has been closed since June 9th because it is so dry here, they had planned on keeping it closed until monsoon starts in July. This part of the Huachuca Mountains is a huge corridor for drug and human smuggling. They won’t say it in the papers, but it is assumed this fire was started by smugglers. Sometimes fires are started to divert attention, sometimes it’s just carelessness. Everybody here knows. The firemen tell me because I ask, the people who work in the park tell me because I ask.
Traffic was redirected, I was not allowed to continue toward home on Rt. 92. Tonight I went on my roof and could see the flames, it is about 20 miles from my home. Last report earlier this afternoon was 100 acres burned so far, but that was hours ago. I have not been able to get an updated report online (I don’t have TV). See We Don’t Need No Stinking Guardrails for beautiful pictures I took in the park exactly three weeks ago.
Huachuca Fire 6-12-11
Huachuca Fire 6-12-11
Huachuca Fire 6-12-11
Huachuca Fire 6-12-11
Huachuca Fire 6-12-11
Find an Outlet 
That’s terrible–hope it stays well away from you and they bring it under control soon.
Thanks Thomas. Arizona is burning up. The Wallow fire in eastern Arizona that started two weeks ago has burned 450,000 acres and is only 6% contained. Thousands of firefighters having been working on it, and thousands of people have been evacuated. It’s horrible.
Such tragic destruction of nature, all because of another’s greed!
Yes Trevor. It’s hard to wrap your mind around.
Praying the rains come soon.
Me too, but this land will never come back in our lifetime.
It always hurts to see nature burning. I think of all the trees lost, the grasses, the bush, all those animals with no where to run and all the beauty turned to nothing but ash.
Maybe the reporting is different here but I’ve read in the papers that they believe the fires started from either illegals burning fires at night to stay warm, smugglers starting the fires to use as cover, or a combination. Personally, I suspect the drug smugglers, they have no respect for human life so I’m sure they could care less about the earth burning.
I’ve also heard that the fires have spread into New Mexico and are quickly heading towards the largest fires in history.
You’re reading about the Wallow fire, in eastern AZ. This Huachuca fire, now called the Monument fire (because Coronado Nat’l Park is officially called Coronado National Monument) just started yesterday. I had to take a cat to Sierra Vista today and took more pictures. 100 acres yesterday, 3000 today, of one of the most beautiful pieces of land in the world. It started on what they call “Smuggler’s Ridge” and is burning all the way to the border. The smoke is so bad everybody’s face is swollen. I can’t bear to think of the animals.
I was going to ask how close this was to you and how it might be affecting you. I have been following media reports. Firstly, it reminded me of the bush fires that reeked havoc in Australia in February 2009. I knew you would be posting sooner or later.
I know forest fires grab you and turns the stomach in sadness as we watch helplessly on the side. Though Momma always seems to bounce back.
Not in our lifetime Hudson, too much damage. The Wallow fire is the size of Houston, Texas, there’s another one north of here, and then this new one that started yesterday. I don’t know if nature can’t keep up with it all.