Caminos Fire - Fire Report

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FIRE NAME - CHEDISKI/RODEO

LOCATION - HEBER, ARIZONA

DATES - JUNE 21ST - JULY 1ST 2002

CREW - John Roads (SRBE), Jesse Grassman (FF, SRBET), Juan Duarte (FF)

On June21st, Caminos Engine 1 was dispatched by the Arizona State Land Department to Heber, Arizona to join other forces in the Heber and Forest Lakes area to protect structures from the nearby Chediski Fire. The Chediski fire was on June 21st, a Type 2 fire. The Heber-Forest Lakes protection was operating under a State Land Type 3 organization. The Type 3 organization was under the Unified Command of Heber Chief Mel Epps and Forest Lakes Chief Jim Little Page. All logistics were being handled by the volunteers of both departments.

After the Chediski and Rodeo fires combined, the Heber-Forest Lakes area fell into Zone 2 of the complex area management system. Each of the 4 zones were managed by a type 1 team. An area command coordinated the 4 zones. Zone 2 was commanded by Kim Martin's team.

Note: The photos and comments below are those of the Caminos Crew, as we saw and photographed it. These comments and photos in no way depict the entire fire or organization and in no way attempt to speak on behalf of the management, or operations of the land management agencies. Caminos Fire does not comment on behalf of the BIA, USDA-USFS, BLM, NPS, Arizona State Land Department, The Heber Fire Department, the Forest Lakes Fire Department, nor any other department involved. For further information on the Chediski/Rodeo Fire, see the additional links below. Nuff said.

The photos are displayed in the order taken. Please note, there are 51 photos. Allow time for them to load up.

	(1) Caminos Engine 1 arrives at Heber (Friday, June 21st) and joins approximately 14 other engines, plus tenders, and other assorted apparatus. I never got an actual count on the trucks available the first day.
	(2) A quick shot at the Heber Fire Station.
	(3) High noon in Heber (June 22nd, Saturday). Before the blow up.
	(4) This picture was taken from Sawmill Ridge Rd in the Summer Place Subdivision, looking southwest. Note how dark the street is. The photo was taken at approximately 12:30 PM.
	(5) At 1330, while patrolling Section 7 (Buckskin Artist Community), 2 abandoned Husky pups approached the crew as if seeking help. We captured the pups, placed them in the engine for a photo op (here with Juan in the foreground), and then delivered the pups to the station for safety. I was amazed by the number of abandoned domestic pets we saw (dogs and cats). These were the only two we could catch. They were temporarily named Spanner & Higbee, but which was which, we don't recall.
	(6) Around 1430, while back on patrol on Pine Rim road, we received word from Air Attack that the column had collapsed. Shortly after, we received the message that the fire was over the dozer lines south of town, moving into town with 100 foot flames. All units were ordered to move to the safety zone at Capps Elementary School. This is the south sky as we arrived at the school.
	(7) This is another shot from the school, looking south and west. The center column was rotating.
	(8) Another view from the school safety zone. Firefighters await rest up and assignment for a long night to come. This view is looking south.
	(9) Just before 4:00, the first strike team headed out from the school to the Overgaard area. This photo was taken showing the back of the Northwest Type 3 engine, around 4:00 PM. The camera did not catch it, but we were not only in the dark here, but we were also in a heavy fire brand storm. This photo was taken on Highway 260, jut east of the Forest Service Office, near Pine Meadows.
	(10) Another shot of the near total darkness experienced as the fire ran over Highway 260 near Pine Meadows. Firefighters reflective stripping is barely visible in this afternoon photo.
	(11) Juan & Jesse applying CAFs to one of two buildings just east of Church Lane, directly across from the fully involved truss plant. The two buildings (duplexes) closest to the highway were foamed in CAFs. A third inside building was foamed with just water and foam.
	(12) An additional shot of the buildings being foamed. CAF was heavily applied to the roof, eaves, walls and even the fence of these units. CAF was also applied on the ground and grass adjacent to the buildings. We were later told these building burned...HAH!!! Read on!!! (Note: These pictures look bad, but remember, they were taken in the middle of the afternoon, through heavy smoke and in a fire brand storm).
	(13) Fire at the truss plant (lumber yard). This photo was in the afternoon.
	(14) Another shot from the lumber yard. I just narrowly missed photographing a black tornado in the middle of the flame. Note the intense flame lengths.
	(15) Another shot of a building burning on Highway 260. Note the fireball forming at the top of the flames. All three of these pictures were taken within seconds as the strike team collected on the highway and then proceeded into Pine Meadows where we chased fire throughout the neighborhood.
	(16) After corralling the fire in Pine Meadows, we received work that the Southern Baptist Church was on fire and no Type 1 Engines were available. Engine One pulled into the back yard from Page Drive and pulled one - 1" CAF line to attempt to knock the fire down from outside the structure. Note the smoky conditions. This was late afternoon.
	(17) This is the rear of the church. Note the 1" hose line. Without a Type 1 engine and SCBA's, no entry could be made. After forcing the doors, the rooms were and attic area were heavily coated in CAFs. A total of 61 gallons of water was used to extinguish the fire the church fire. Gotta love CAFs.
	(18) This picture was facing west from Pine Meadows - it really is still day. This was around 6:30 or 7:00. The end of a terrible, destructive day. As the sun set, over 230 structures were lost in Overgaard alone. The explosions seemed to go throughout the night - however, it was the afternoon.
	(19) The next day (June 23, Sunday). Another shot of the Heber Station, just before all the trees were cut down to prevent a run on the station. Fallers are visible in the background starting the tree cuts.
	(20) The remains of one of the buildings at the truss plant (lumber yard)
	(21) Across from the lumber yard - the duplexes we covered in CAF - still remain.
	(22) The second duplex (right), showing the third building burned down (on the left).
	(23) The rear of the second duplex looking east towards the building that burned. CAF was applied heavily to the LPG tank.
	(24) The rear of the first unit, closest to the highway. Note how the grass burned near the building. CAF was applied to the grass adjacent to the building. It appears that CAF stopped the fire from reaching this building. Also note the fence to the left. CAF was applied to the fence. The grass burned all around the fence, but the fence remains intact.
	(25) A "from the Highway" shot of the Pinecrest RV park.
	(26) Row after row of total destruction of the RV park.
	(27) Explosions could be heard all afternoon as the RV park burned, each unit to the next like dominos. Note the survival of the American Flag. Notice the survival of some trees and the complete torching of others.
	(28) The front of the church. This is a great photo on flammable vegetation. Note the heavy burn damage to the front of the church from the shrubbery. The shrubs were completely surrounded by pavement, concrete and brick, but still caught a fire brand and caught fire. Also note the open wood new construction. Had this new area caught fire, it would have rained fire brands all over the nearby neighborhood to the north and east. It was the back side of the church that caught fire.
	(29) The rear of the church. One of the two areas where forced entry was made to apply CAFs.
	(30) Looking inside the rear door of the church. The damage shows that the fire was taking off and ready to destroy the entire complex. While this damage looks significant, it is nothing to what it could have been.
	(31) This shed is an anomaly. Fire burned under all 4 sides and the wooden structure did not burn. Go figure. I have no explanation.
	(32) This cabin is also tough to explain. The pine needles are raked away from the walls, however, trees torched up to the house. Note the burned pine needles on the roof.
	(33) The above cabin (32) is just to the left of this photo. There is a burned down structure in the foreground and torched out trees running to the left.
	(34) Another view of the torched trees that threatened the cabin in photo 32. The burned down structure in photo 33 is to the right of this photo.
	(35) A helicopter with dip bucket in tow flies directly over Engine 1.
	(36) Juan observes dip operations at the Pine Meadows golf course.
	(37) (June 24th, Monday) Three views of fire just east of the air park neighborhood. These three photos were taken from the upper deck of a house. Is this fire too close for comfort?
	(38) Same
	(39) Same again
	(40) (June 25th, Tuesday) Another photo of total destruction. I believe this was off Foxtail Pines Road. Photos just do not show how bleak it really is to see such destruction.
	(41) Engine 1 was on standby as the fire east of Bigler Estates flared up. Dozer lines were being installed for burnout operations to contain this fire.
	(42) A large spot fire (20-25 acres) broke out east of Bigler Estates and north of the Air Port. Engine 1 assisted other engines, dozers, helicopters, fallers and crews in containing the new blaze. Here Sky Crane 747 makes a drop overhead through the smoke.
	(43) Dozer lines became the main defense as well as the main route of travel as spot fire control measures were established in the Oklahoma Draw.
	(44) (June 26, Wednesday) While patrolling the Country Club area for spots, the crew stumbled upon this baby elk - estimated at less that two weeks old. She was injured and had a bloody nose. Engine 1 transported the elk in to health care through the Fish & Wildlife Service. We named her Chediski.
	(45) A cliff side (from a deck) view of the Country Club area shows the erratic pattern that the fire spread. Only one structure in this area burned, just behind the trees to the right of the burned grass.
	(46) Engine 1 looks a mess, but all hoses must be ready for anything. Engine 1 handled an assortment of evolutions during the assignment from initial structure attack, to bump and run, pump and roll, 2-3 gpm mop up, and hours of standby incase of spot fire ignitions.
	(47) (June 28, Friday) Engine 1 makes it's way down a dozer line, patrolling for hotspots between Hwy 277 and Hwy 260, east of Overgaard. This dozer line did not meet federal highway standards. Note the heavy fuels on both sides of the line. Safety zones were a concern in this area.
	(48) After a day of dozer line patrol and spot fire attacks, Engine 1 looks quite the mess. This is not mud, as there was no moisture in site. The Engine is coated in fine dust - inside, outside, upside, underside, in our noses, in our clotheses, fine powdered dust everywhere.
	(49) Around 1700 hours, a 50 acre green island near Potato Patch torched out. This shot was taken from Constellation Rd. while enroute to Bison Ranch for standby.
	(50) (June 29, Saturday) Our final two days on this assignment was the protection of Hwy 260 at Forest Lakes. A burn out this day was the final major threat to the community. Engine 1 assisted with two spot fires that jumped the dozer lines, but were controlled before reaching the highway. In this photo, the biggest of the two spot fires, new Firefighter Juan is learning the fine art of cold-trailing, under the instructions of the Mormon Lake (IHC) Hotshots. A discussion was held regarding the photo title - Kindergarten Sand Box seems appropriate.
	ARRRRRRRRGH!!!!!! - I ran out of film. Disposable cameras were nowhere to be purchased. (Hey, all the stores were closed and evacuated) There were thousands of photo opportunities. Oh well!