How Can They Not Know?


 

I watch no other news but the fire brief twice a day. And the fire weather brief between those. I cannot walk outside without scanning the horizon for smoke. Question every cloud that it might be lying to me. I have traveled no further than Eagle Nest, and can feel the anxiety build as I near Angel Fire. Some part of me knows the Calf Canyon and Hermit's Peak fire will make it to West Angel Fire or Taos Canyon or both. Because I know how very hard 3000 fire fighters have fought for that not to happen.

Today in an Eagle Nest store the new owner asked me where I was from and I said Black Lake. And she said, "I bet you are happy that fire is over."

"It is not I said. Won't be over till after the monsoons."

Another friend thinks it is under control. Fifty percent contained is not under control. 

I now know more about wildfires than I ever wanted to know. I know you can burn a pile of downed logs, put the fire out. Let mother nature bury it in three subsequent snow storms. And have it emerge as a forest fire and join with another they thought was out and grow to 315,627 acres. That is worse than the clown in the sewer in Stephen King's novel IT.

I know you can go to a log lying on a mountain 10,000 feet up and cut it with a chainsaw and expose the fire within in it. When friends ask why haven't they just put it out? I do not know how to answer them. It is now burning on the scars of two other wildfires. I thought once wind backed it up on a burn scar it would starve to death but the old scar feeds it. And if it is not extinguished in the right way it will feed the next spark.

How can anyone not know it isn't out. I see the haze and smell the smoke. Every night they fly over with a special plane with infrared sensors that can spot the hot spots behind the containment line, inside the logs, or blown off from behind the containment line. They think they are just milking the government. They should go home. All the heavy equipment is in the way of the tourists. The lights of the fire camps kills our dark skies.

How can anyone not know this fire is not out. It is not under control even. Just takes an a spark and it will make another run.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 31, 2022 at 4:56 PM

    Having heard how this fire started. I fully agree with your sentiments. I hope this is taught all the firefighters and prescribed burners the lesson. I hope they will always fly over with an infrared plane at least two or three nights after any fire to make sure it is 100% out. :( I cannot express how sorry I am that you're going through this. I hope that they can get it out or even more contained long before the monsoon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JBinford-BellMay 31, 2022 at 5:00 PM

      I hope they do too but I think it might be irrational to believe it can. We are in the worst drought in 1200 years. You can almost believe the dirt could catch fire.

      Delete
    2. The Blog of BeeJune 1, 2022 at 9:33 AM

      I am so worried for you. It's very worrying and I don't recall it as ever being as bad as this. It's the same here in the dry season but not on the same scale by any means.

      Delete
    3. JBinford-BellJune 1, 2022 at 12:34 PM

      This is very historic. The largest wildfire ever in New Mexico. The mistakes made by the Santa Fe National Forest on two prescribed burns and the freakish fire burn roll over which allowed both to join forces at the time of extreme drought and unstable air definitely did not help. It seemed at times the dirt was going to catch fire. I have been scared. And being evacuated is scary in and of itself.

      Delete

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