Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Forest Fires in Southern Arizona

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Topic: Forest Fires in Southern Arizona

Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-25-2003 05:29 PM

I am sure that many of you have heard about the raging forest fire in the Catalina Mountains and the destruction of Winterhaven on Mt.Lemon, just north of Tucson.

The fire is clearly visible all over town, and reports say that the smoke has reached the AZ/New Mexico Border. You can even watch the slurry bombers drop their loads from the center of town.

The fire is directly due north of my home, but miles away.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-25-2003 05:53 PM

I've seen the reports on the tv news and am sorry to hear about so many homes destroyed by fire. Up here in Washington state everything is tinder dry because we are way behind on rainfall. Same thing could easily happen here if people aren't careful with cigarettes & matches when they're out in the woods.

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 07-03-2003 08:25 PM

Earlier this week, the Mt. Lemon Fire was about 50% contained, and was almost on the verge of threatening the town of Oracle to the north of the Catalina Mountans. This disaster was avoided.

However, the past few days saw a major aw-shit. The high winds kicked up again, this time blowing south. The fire has expanded and jumped the fire lines. Aireal bombardment has continued, but for safety purposes, fire crews were pulled back last night.

The smoke from the fire is covering all of eastern Tucson. Those with lung problems have been urged to stay indoors and use a/c...not evap. cooling. Authorities have also urged people to bring their pets indoors.

The fire has come down to the foothills on the southern side of the Catalina Mountains, threatening Sabino Canyon, a favorite Tucson area. This National Park has been closed.

During the day, the smoke hides the flames, but at night, the flames are clearly visible from all over the city.

The fire is currently threatening Mt. Bigalo, where ABC, NBC, CBS and others have their communiations towers. Those with satellite tv will not be affected. If the fire consumes these towers, then large portions of Southern AZ that rely on cable tv...or good ole fashioned antennas will be affected.

What this man-made fire has destroyed will take hundreds of years for nature to repair....and in the case of Sahuaro Cacti, this will take centuries and centuries.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-15-2003 02:24 PM

More on the Arizona fire problems:

http://rfupdate.broadcastengineering.com/july_15/index.htm#fire

quote:
Industry News

Aspen fire puts Tucson TV transmitter site in harm’s way, causes shutdowns

Like many others in the Tucson, Ariz. area, KUAT-TV (Channel 6) has been forced to deal with the continuing consequences of the Aspen fire plaguing the area.

On Saturday July 5 the station was unable to restart its transmitter on Mount Bigelow because fire had interrupted the station’s remote control system. The station restarted the transmitter the next morning with the help of a firefighter who was allowed on the site. Periodically, public safety officials have restricted access to the site due to the threatening fire.

On Tuesday July 8, the public broadcast station took its Mount Bigelow-originated signal off the air to conduct maintenance to its electrical generator which has powered its transmitter site since June 19 when the Aspen fire interrupted normal electric service to the facility.

At times, the Aspen fire as been within half of a mile of the Mount Bigelow transmitter site. Viewer access to KUAT-TV via cable and its simulcast on Channel 27 has been uninterrupted during the unfolding situation.

KUAT-TV’s Channel 27 simulcast transmitter is located elsewhere and has remained unaffected by the fire. At press time, KUAT-TV had enough diesel fuel at its Mount Bigelow site to keep the transmitter operating for 14 days. KUAT belongs to the KUAT Communications Group, which is an educational broadcast and production resource of the University of Arizona. It also operates KUAT-FM, a classical radio station, with a transmitter on Mount Bigelow and KUAZ-AM and FM which are unthreatened by the fire.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 07-15-2003 06:19 PM

I was just down in Tucson last week and it was amazing to just see smoke rising from the mountains in such volume. It was so thick and so constant that after about 8 hours it just looked like it's always been on fire.

Does Arizona escape massive damaging fires ever? Or does this happen every year?

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