FIRE!

Planted out sweet potatoes and okra

Had a rattlesnake close to the front door. Haven’t seen it since.

1st egg from a fall hatched Pullet

Working on making a flat space to build a real goat shed

Dug some new potatoes 

So there I was about June 4th going about my business, trying to keep everything watered and taken care of.  When some 20 miles away, just south of Superior, AZ a brush fire started. 

By June 6 my area was on SET mode of READY, SET, GO! The fire was moving hot and fast and came over the mountains with lightening speed. 

Looking west towards my house area and the fire morning of June 7. My kids convinced me to go ahead and leave because what would happen if the GO order came in the middle of night. 

Family nearby made room and we evacuated the goats, Giotto and probably over 100 chicks, some of which I just took out of the incubator. And it was a good call because the GO order came about 4am June 7

The night glow from my safe space. This was actually one of the less exciting evenings 

On Tuesday June 8 the mountains were on fire. When it was less than a mile from my house the fire turned into the mountains. I missed work on Monday but by evening I’d done everything I could do so I went to work on Tuesday. These pictures are from the drive in.

 

I spent some time at my house dumping out piles of feed, filling water pans and turning birds loose while I watched the ridge line for any hint of flame. 

It was scary and nerve wracking 

Even more so in the dark. 

I was fortunate to be able to to the house and turn on the sprinklers. We had some days in the 105°-112°F range so I lost a lot of plants in small pots. The loose chickens mowed the oregano to the ground

And left the pepper plants with no leaves at all

I went home after a week tho the fire was still burning up the mountains my house was fairly safe. 

A few pics from hiway 60 between Miami and Superior. Still some hot spots. 

The fire burned all the way through the Pinal mountains and joined up with the other fire burning at the same time, the Mescal. Then it headed south. Many ranchers have lost all their grazing land and some families have lost their homes and everything they own. As of today, June 23, 2021 the Telegraph fire has burned 180,725 acres of land and is only 89% contained. It was a human caused fire that is still under investigation. From west to east it burned over about 45 miles in less than a week. From north to south it has burned about 15-20 miles. Our mountains will never be the same.