"Fire!"

...6/24/03: left work...as the bus approached the I-25 overpass, the northwestern sky began to fill with brownish-white smoke...the point of origin was south of the Sheraton Old Town...which possibly put it close to home...the bus dispatcher started talking about a fire & Central...but the bus arrived @Copper & 2nd, and I had to get off...at downtown, more cars than usual passed by...but Lomas is under construction, so that could be the reason...and, of course, no one near had a cell phone...when the Central bus arrived, we were able to drive smoothly until we reached Central, Copper & 10th...

...6/24/03: at that point, there were no traffic lights...there was also construction on Central near Laguna...everything was in slow motion, but the smoke remained ahead of me...and, again, no one had a cell phone on the bus...people kept saying There's a fire at the Bosque! (among other things)...then the bus dispatcher said that I-40 was closed from Rio Grande to Coors...cars were being routed into the city, into the area with no power & no traffic lights...people were standing outside of most stores...

...6/24/03: and the day was hot...92 degrees & windy...the smoke would seem to end, then it would billow high into the air...the bus got through the intersection of Rio Grande & Central, and I decided it was better to walk...I made my way between cars & trucks in order to cross Central...so I walked (fast) and as I approached the Beach, the smoke was farther west & north...the traffic was moving very slowly...I beat the bus (I think)...I met the manager who told me that we lost power @4:15...it was just so good to put my arms around Brad & see Captain...the power was restored by 5:30...the fire was on both sides of the river...a home under construction ignited & was consumed within minutes...its cost was near $1 million...I-40 kept opening & closing...

...6/24/03: 3 helicopters (that cannot be used at night) & the forestry service & firemen from Idaho who were in the area are helping...1,000 people are evacuated...600-1,000 acres have been burnt...mayor's family had to leave their home...the fire started @3:30...8:15, and the fire may continue for 2-3 days...but it was put out by 8:30, with the last helicopter heading back to its base...there was a haze over the city...this was the worse Bosque fire in 23 years...calmer winds on 6/25/03...started @I-40 & Rio Grande, 2 small fires which grew & spread...the fire moved at 20 mph...this blaze has been named the Bosque fire...in the end, 701 acres burned & only minor injuries...the Bosque was declared a Federal Disaster area; Federal funding was approved up to 7/4/03...FEMA will pay for 75% of the costs for extinguishing the blaze...the state had set aside $750,000 for fire expenses...by 6/25/03, there was the smell of burnt wood, but no haze in the sky...

...6/25/03: a state of emergency has been declared in ABQ...the National Guard was called in to assist...people were allowed to return to their homes...the fire was mostly out by 8 PM on 6/24/03...but hot spots keep erupting...a cold front is expected by 6/26/03, but it will be accompanied by gusty winds, up to 40 mph...on 6/24/03, there had been a brush fire near Copper & Tramway...it was put out by city residents...the Bosque fire made world news...former mayor Baca lives near current mayor Chavez in the North Valley...the warmer temps in the fire area kept moths away from our apartment...by 2 PM, there were clear skies in all directions...but...

...6/26/03: at 8:30 PM on 6/25/03, the blaze starts again...people are told to leave their homes as quickly as possible...Coors, Montano (from 4th to Coors), Rio Grande & I-40 are shut down...by 4:30 AM on 6/26/03, Coors & Rio Grande reopened...arson is suspected...gusty winds through the night were in a westerly direction...the Bosque is at most 1 mile wide, and is a contained area, as compared to a forest...the fire could not grow because it was hampered by the river & scrub brush...[PS - at one time we had thought of moving to a complex @Coors & Montano, the San Miguel de Bosque; still, the fact remains that we live near the Bosque]...the winds were stronger S of the Bosque...the fire first started burning in a N-S direction, then changed to E-W...but the winds increased at sunrise, then calmed by noon...no major structures were lost during the flare-ups...slurry was again used...the fire was under control by mid-AM...the fire flared again @3 PM, but was quickly put out...

...the 6/24/03 fire is called the Atrisco; the 6/25, Montano...

...of course, this has not been good for allergy sufferers or those with asthma...at the same time, severe weather struck E NM...more thunderstorms & hail...

...ABQ is getting assistance from state police & the National Guard, which includes firemen...hot spots keep appearing...no other city in the country has a Bosque...19 miles will be closed, from the Isleta to the Sandia pueblos...

...6/27/03: 3 boys are suspected of setting the fire on 6/24/03...they were brought into custody, but charges were not filed...in the end, the trio stated they were tossing firecrackers into the river when one hit a bush & ignited it...as they tried to extinguish the blaze, it kept spreading...the parents will also be responsible for this crime...the boys were cuffed and may face 364 days in jail plus a $1000 fine...the charges are conspiracy to commit arson & property damage exceeding $1000...now, police are patrolling the Bosque trail entrances...the Bosque itself is closed until 7/4/03...the police have also blocked access to Tingley Road near the Central Bridge...Montano remained closed from 4th to Coors...at 4:30 PM on 6/27/03, that road reopened...

...some fireworks may be legal in other parts of the state, but not in ABQ...even possession is an offense...fireworks must be shot from paved or barren surfaces, rise no more than 10 feet, sparks must not travel 3 feet in any direction...fireworks cannot be set off on state property...
...6/29/03: there are still hot spots...firefighters will keep search for the next few days...unlike a forest fire, another blaze could cause extensive property damage...this is especially true for the area near the Montano bridge...in a few weeks a smouldering cinder could ignite the dry brush...another danger is the sharp thicket...one could not run through any area containing these bushes...7/7/03: part of the Bosque reopens...only the levy & paved trails...a small fire erupts in the Bosque at Bernalillo...fire quickly contained...Tingley AVE has reopened...police Jeep Cherokees also patrol the area...

...6/30/03: 338 acres burned in the renamed Montano fire...a homeless person may have info on the Montano fire...a hovercraft is used to search for squatters... the daily cost to fight these fires is about $250,000...2 fires started on & near the Alameda bridge...again, they were started by fireworks...an E-mail to UNM personnel said that you can get fireworks at a discount price at a tent in Los Lunas...that started a plethora of responses, reminding the original sender of last week's blazes...but the best part was that UNM policy does not allow advertising E-mail...so the writer is in trouble...6/30/03: the Channel 7 news truck was at the Bosque entrance on Central...the area is patrolled by military HumVees'...

...7/5/03: Encebado fire threatens Taos Pueblo...500 acres have burned E of the village...7/6/03: now 1500 acres...people have been warned, but not urged to evacuate...lots of smoke...blaze calmed down through the night...the road to the pueblo is closed, except for those battle the fire...15% humidity @6:30...no moisture to help put out the blaze...thick smoke making it hard to determine where to drop the slurry or water...the Taos Pueblo covers 100,000 acres, containing structures more than 1000 years old...wind is pushing fire back on itself & into the MTNs...there is a daily chance of T'storms & E winds, which would push the fire back towards populated areas...rain with ash would threaten the watershed...the main goal for firefighters is to keep the Pueblo safe...6 homes, 1 business & 4 other properties are threatened...it is 0% contained...Taos is the oldest continuously inhabited village in NA...its people speak Tiwa...7/7/03: 3,000 acres burnt...fire only 2% contained...7/7/03: 5%...wind, not lightning is seen as the greatest threat to battling the blaze...wind can help fuel fire...this is the last chance for any measurable rain for at least the next 5 days...70 years of twigs & leaves cover the ground in that area...Taos Pueblo is closed to tourists, but not the city...let us hope the monsoon season arrives in the next week or two...7/9/03: 4,000 acres destroyed...still, no threat & no evacuations...only Native Americans can fight blazes on sacred lands...7/10/03: 5,011 acres charred, and is 20% contained...7/11/03: 200+ more acres destroyed; possibly 40% contained...

...the Monument fire burnt 800 acres...it is now 100% containined...it happened on private land near Ft. Union...

...7/5/03: Capulin & Molina fires...7/6/03: 80 & 40 acres charred, respectively...7/16/03: Molina has burned 6,300 acres, and is 15-50% contained...Nambe Pueblo is now threatened...7/22/03: 7,000 acres; 60% contained...

...back in AZ, the Aspen fire has burnt 70,000 acres, and is 55% contained...7/7/03: 80,000 acres burned...then, 82,000 acres; then 85,000 acres......and a new fire, Walker has consumed 60 acres...that fire is located 8 miles S of Prescott...7/15/03: now, there is a fire near Whiteriver, AZ, that has burnt 5,800 acres...it poses a threat to Show Low...7/16/03: thye Kinishba fire has now burnt 16,000 acres, and is 10% contained...

...7/5/03: the 9-mile fire has burned 50 acres of Ponderosa pine...7/6/03: 60% contained...

...7/5/03: Maverick fire in the Cibola NATL Forest...it is located S of Magdalena...

...7/6/03: currently there is a controlled burn near Tesuque, N of Santa Fe...

...7/5/03: La Cienega fire caused by fireworks...S of Santa Fe, off exit 271 on I-25...caused by fireworks...24 homes evacuated...7/6/03: fire extinguished...

...the Dry Lake fire is 1 month old, and has burnt 72,000 acres in mostly barren land N of Silver City...it poses no threat to anyone at this time...7/11/03: 77,000 acres...7/13/03: 80,000+ acres...7/15/03: 90,000 acres...7/17/03: 99,000 acres...7/10/03: this AM a boy was caught setting 3 fires near the Bosque...all were extinguished...he was arrested...

...fires are burning in OR, WY, WA, CA, CO, ID, MT, UT & NM...only 1 million acres have burned in 2003, as compared to 3.2 million at this same time in 2002...Mesa Verde NATL Park is closed due to 5 small fires burning in that area...7/21/03: park reopened...7/27/03: the fire is 35% contained as more campsites reopen...7/18/03: the Balcony complex in the 4 Corners area has burned 2,000 acres...

...7/12/03: Encebado fire is now 40% contained...1,000 people are trying to put out this blaze...it has cost $4 million to battle this blaze...rain around the fire area is helping to stop its advances...it may be fully contained by mid-July...7/14/03: 50% then 65% contained of the 5,382 acres burnt...7/15/03: 70% contained...7/17/03: 100% contained, cost $8 million...