Think it's going to be a summer of lots of fires here.  Still see the a-holes throwing butts out of their cars.  At least they got some cooler weather up in Sedona.

Little bit of hysteria in Flagstaff yesterday. Today things are settling down. Hopefully, we can get this fire under control. Kinda freaks me out that the fire is only 20-30 miles from my house and my business

Every year good citizens of Flagstaff have to find their houses and lives put at risk because the Forest Service refuses to take appropriate actions to protect the forest. Honestly, the situation is crazy. Last year the head of the district wrote an op ed piece in the local paper defending people's constitutional right to grill hotdogs and marshmallows over an open fire. It's a nice thought but I know people who lost their house to flooding (no insurance purchased could help because of a 30 day wait period - floods hit 24 days after the fire) after the North East side of the mountain burned 4 years ago. The fire was caused by a legal fire that had not been extinguished improperly but everyone who keeps their eye on the forest health here was calling for a fire ban all that summer.
My sources say this Slide fire was likely caused by a campground fire in Oak Creek which once again was legal because the fire restrictions have not gone far enough in regards to the drought conditions this year. It's even more frustrating to find the Sierra Club continues to sue the FS over thinning the forest and has kept thinning projects from proceeding. The Sierra Club policies have kept the Forest from being thinned for 20 years, much of the disagreement is over tree trunk diameter, FS wants 36in. and under to be culled, SC wants 30in and under. In the meantime, we are going to lose the entire forest to catastrophic fire which is anything but natural. A natural Ponderosa Forest grows it's trees 50 meters apart so that when one tree burns due to lightening, the rest are secure. Our forest has responded to historic logging by growing in a thicket and is therefore prone to unnatural loss.
Sorry, more than most of you wanted to know, I'm sure.

-- Modified on 5/22/2014 3:26:41 PM

I'm bringing an incredibly special guest up to Oak Creek/Junipine in July when she visits.  I hate to think about the view being blackened and scarred, and the damage done.    

Find 'em, Hang 'em High.

Yes, I am the classic tree hugger and yes, what i was trying to get across is the Sierra Club representing the tree huggers has stopped logging which has also stopped thinning which we need desperately to save the forest. The problem is when they call in the loggers they clear cut to maximize profits and we lose the forest. It's complex but the political fight over this shit will result in losing our forest to fire or to clearcut.
FS is announcing that campfires will be allowed in campgrounds throughout the forest over this holiday weekend. I just can't believe they won't put stricter requirements on it. We are screwed.
Dave does have it right, the beetle population explosion is a result of warmer climate, not of the logging policy.

that this fire was intently set!!! If and when this nimrod is caught he needs to be drawn and quartered.

Gee, Maybe all humans should be confined too urban areas. The earth will out live us all. Get over your knee jerk reactions! It sucks but there are many areas in this state that have burned and are beautiful once again. How many forests got wiped out during the ice age? And yet we still have forests.

If they where set intentionally without imminent need then yes they should be prosecuted.
 
When the time comes and they ask for volunteers to help replant these areas will those of you pissing and moaning volunteer your time to help? Highly unlikely.