Despite this haze of smoke in the normally crytal clear blue Arizona Sky, the danger to our cabin Strawberry seems to be of a lesser threat from the Cave Creek Complex fire that what we heard earlier in the week.
I am not surprised the Phoenix news media stoked more concern than warranted with their slant on the “news” during the week.
Fortunately the strong winds that moved the fire quickly north last week have slowed down. According to the reports on the fire incident web sites, the northern edge has not moved much in the last 48 hours, due to wind change, and some differeent terrain where the amount of dry fuel to burn is lessened.
They are setting up control lines just south of the Verde River, and breacing those would be the worst case where they would start a possible evacuation. Then we would have at most 13 hours to get out of here.
But due to some incredible efforts by 1300 some firefighters out there in 100+ degree heat, things are looking a bit less grim.
But the threat is always there in the extreme dry climate of Arizona, compunded by the multi year drought, compunded by dry lightining storms, compunded by the sometimes boneheaded human behavior in the woods.
Anyhow, we can relax slightly, and now consider going ahead with our plan to drive to Colorado for a family wedding July 4. The blog will be quiet from July 2-6.
Not So Picturesque
available on my flickr
It is a hazy day at our cabin Strawberry as the front of the Cave Creek Complex fire, 12 miles to the southwest, is smoking up the skies. Fortunately, the news is saying that there is less to worry about in terms of the fire reaching hear.