# To the fuckwads that started the fire **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 11, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339 "2002-06-11T00:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/121 "2002-06-24T23:42:34Z")
Watching footage this morning of the AZ fires, I was stunned by the total absence of firebreaks around some of the homes under threat. I realise that in firestorm conditions a firebreak isn’t going to be a whole lot of use, but in a normal fire season it can well make the difference between saving and losing your property. I really hope you guys get some favourable weather very soon. I can’t imagine how bad this could get by the end of summer if you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/122 "2002-06-25T05:53:53Z")
Just a small note. I used to live in Globe and names like ShowLow and Payson bring back memories. My heart goes out to those who’ve lost anything. My sincere wishes for an end to this fire. Pat ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/123 "2002-06-25T15:13:14Z")
They worked all day yesterday on a fire break. The fire jumped it. It’s so dry that fire breaks aren’t doing much good as the fire explodes from tree to tree. The Ponderosa Pine that’s burning is three times drier than kiln-dried lumber. They HAVE managed to save about 2000 structures, they’re saying, through the use of fire retardants and foam-type stuff. About 400 have burned, though. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/124 "2002-06-26T04:15:04Z")
According to our weather folks here in Colorado, we were getting (and still getting) a lot of the smoke from the fires in AZ. They explained that is was a combination of two high systems east/northeast of the Rodeo Fire and a low system just northeast of us, pushing the smoke back up against our mountains. On to saving homes. The forest service said that if home owners don’t do what is asked to clear the area in and around their home, the forest service fire fighters will by-pass that house and go to a house that has a better chance to survive the onset of a fire. So, to all of you that live in forested areas, please contact your local fire district and find out what they recommend. I have heard conflicting reports but the minimum I have heard is clear all trees and brush in a 30 ft. perimeter. Keep trees in the inner perimeter trimmed up 8 feet and make sure that any native grass is mowed, but be careful with mowing, we had a fire just north of me that started from a riding mower. This seems to be what I have heard the most in order to better the chances of saving your home. If the forest service sees that defendable space, they can minimizes the loss much easier and they aren’t going to put their employees in great danger to defend a house that has trees butted up against it. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/125 "2002-06-26T05:26:51Z")
The fire fighters did, in Show Low at least, go through town putting red tags on those houses that they didn’t think they could save. I know that this kind of triage is necessary, but it must be very hard for them to give up on some houses before the fire even gets there. From what I understand, the fire crews take these things _very_ personally and hate admiting defeat to the fire. ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/126 "2002-06-26T15:22:57Z")
Well, the smoke has arrived in Phoenix. I’m getting the scratchy throat feeling like the Colorado folks have had. Last night, it looked like a mushroom cloud. Now it’s REALLY hazy all over. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/127 "2002-06-26T23:00:40Z")
The red tags in Show Low are to designate high risk homes as targets for slurry bombers, not to mark them for abandonment under pressure… The problem now is that under the heavy smoke, the slurry bombers are having a hard time accepting vectors to the targeted homes. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/128 "2002-06-26T23:59:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winnowill \* > \*\*Well, the smoke has arrived in Phoenix. I’m getting the scratchy throat feeling like the Colorado folks have had. Last night, it looked like a mushroom cloud. Now it’s REALLY hazy all over. \*\* This may explain this “onset of a cold” feeling I’ve had today. Then again, maybe I’m just catching a cold. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/129 "2002-06-27T00:22:14Z")
What a fuckin freaky summer this has been so far, and it just started. OY. To those that have elderly and young ones under six in the path of the smoke, please keep them indoors and out of the smoke. It can be deadly. Also, other’s with asthma and other respiratory problems should stay indoors too. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/130 "2002-06-27T02:23:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tranquilis \* > \*\*The red tags in Show Low are to designate high risk homes as targets for slurry bombers, not to mark them for abandonment under pressure… > > The problem now is that under the heavy smoke, the slurry bombers are having a hard time accepting vectors to the targeted homes. \*\* They may have been marking houses as targets for the bombers, but they were also marking houses that they didn’t think that they could save. [From an article in the East Valley Tribune 6/23/02](http://www.aztrib.com/rodeofire/rodeop10623.shtml): > [@](#): > > Humphrey said firefighters couldn’t stop the flames from entering Show Low. Their plan called for pulling back, letting the fire hit and then fighting where they could. > > Firefighters assessing the town in advance of the fire were using red ribbons to mark homes that they didn’t think they’d be able to save. > > "We’ll spend our time on the ones we can possibly save,’’ Humphrey said. "It’s a tough call, but we have to make it.’’ I did not in any way intend to disparage the firefighters or the amazing job that they were doing, **Tranquilis**. As I have stated, I have nothing but admiration their effort, which is nothing short of heroic. This sad fact is just an indication of how bad things are and the difficult decisions that have had to be made. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/131 "2002-06-27T03:32:26Z")
Never said you slammed the firefighters, **Linus**. Here, [This](http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/06/25/molineaux.otsc/index.html) is one of the other articles addressing the red tags: > [@](#): > > KAGAN: That is good news, but with well over 200 homes gone, Charles, tell me about the flags that have been placed on some homes. What does that represent? > > MOLINEAUX: Well, the concern is that some of these homes are at high risk, and the crews have been going in and trying to make sure that they can protect these homes. > > The one problem that they have had over the course of the past 24 hours is this dense smoke. What they have been doing a couple of times is sending the slurry [fire-retardant] bombers in to bomb individual homes and yards to protect them, those at the highest risk. And they have actually had some problems doing that, spotting homes and getting in there because of the thick smoke. > > But the crews have been on the ground going to clear out brush, clear out woodpiles, clear out decks, refuse, anything that might be encouraging the fire to move toward a structure. This, and several other reports, seems to indicate that rather than abandoning these houses, they’re getting special attention, at least until the flames get too close. ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/132 "2002-06-28T02:52:59Z")
**Tranquilis** , sorry if I sounded a bit testy or defensive. I have a lot of fond memories of camping up on the Rim, and it really hurts to see so much of it destroyed by this. That is, of course, only my personal selfish reasons - I can hardly imagine what the people who are losing their homes are going through. My guess is that either they were talking about two different types of flags on the houses, or the markings were used for both - early on, when the first story was writen (the 23rd), when they were afraid that the fire would sweep through like a storm, they marked the homes that would be too dangerous or time consuming to save; then later, when the fire didn’t progress into town like expected, they used those markings to denote the houses that needed special attention. Again, sorry for the apparent testiness. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339/133 "2002-06-28T02:58:58Z")
Well, for those that don’t know, they released Terry Barton on $600,000 bond. She is required to stay in a halfway house, she will be monitored (didn’t say how,) is not allowed hear a forest and either her passport was revoked or she is denied at getting one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-fuckwads-that-started-the-fire/113339.md?page=6)