Rodeo–Chediski Fire
Rodeo–Chediski Fire | |
---|---|
rural | |
Impacts | |
Structures destroyed | 426[2] |
Ignition | |
Cause | arson, accidental |
Perpetrator(s) | Leonard Gregg, Valinda Jo Elliott |
Map | |
The Rodeo–Chediski Fire was a
Origin and development
Initially, there were two separate fires. The first fire, the Rodeo, was reported on the afternoon of June 18 near the Rodeo Fairgrounds on the
The Chediski Fire was first reported on the morning of June 20 near
By June 21, the Rodeo Fire had consumed around 150,000 acres (230 sq mi; 61,000 ha). Around 8,000 people were evacuated; by the end of the fire, around 30,000 people would be moved. The two burning areas approached through crosswinds over June 21 and June 22 as a further 11,000 people were ordered to leave their homes. The burning areas joined on June 23 having consumed around 300,000 acres (470 sq mi; 120,000 ha) of woodland.
The fire's progress slowed after the two merged and by June 26 the fire was 5% contained by backburning, line building, and aerial retardant drops – protecting the settlements of Clay Springs, Linden and Pinedale, but 462,600 acres (722.8 sq mi; 187,200 ha) had burned. The fire was 28% contained by June 28, but it was not fully under control until July 7 at a cost of $43.1 million.[1] 465 homes were destroyed in Pinedale and other small communities. The fire was declared a disaster area. RodeoFire.com was established at the fire's onset as a portal for concerned citizens and family members acting as an event update website.
Aftermath
Restoration
Of the woodlands affected, 280,992 acres (439.050 sq mi; 113,713 ha) (60.0%) was part of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Of the rest, 167,215 acres (261.273 sq mi; 67,670 ha) (35.7%) was in the Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests and 10,667 acres (16.667 sq mi; 4,317 ha) (2.3%) in the Tonto National Forest. The remaining destruction occurred on private land. The fire damaged or destroyed ecosystem resources, disrupted hydrologic functioning, and altered the loadings of flammable fuels on much of the ponderosa pine forest that was exposed to the burn.[5]
After the fire, efforts were made to stabilize the landscape by
Political consequences
Political figures, including Senator
Legal actions
The arsonist, who received a 10-year prison sentence in March 2004, was Leonard Gregg, a Cibecue resident who worked as a seasonal firefighter for the tribal fire department. He told investigators he had set two fires that morning (the first was quickly put out) in hopes of getting hired by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for a quick-response fire crew. Gregg had previously worked as a BIA fire crew member, and was indeed among the first to be called in to fight the Rodeo Fire.
The stranded motorist, Valinda Jo Elliott, who started the Chediski portion of the fire was not charged with arson by the US Attorney's office, much to the anger of local residents and the tribe. In 2009, a judge ruled that she is eligible to be tried in a civil suit in the White Mountain Apache tribal court.[8] In 2014 the court ruled that she was liable for $1650 in civil penalties and $57,000,000 in restitution to the tribe.[9]
See also
- Hayman Fire of 2002, a concurrent large wildfire in Colorado
References
- ^ a b "Fact Sheet: Healthy Forests Initiative Update for Arizona" (PDF). United States Forest Service. 2003-08-11. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ^ a b http://www.floa.org/rodeo_chediski/fire_photos12.htm Rodeo-Chediski fire, Forest lakes owners association
- ^ http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_northern_az/other/wallow-fire-now-largest-wildfire-in-recorded-arizona-history Wallow fire now largest in recorded Arizona history
- ^ "Chediski Peak".
- ^ Ffolliott, P.F. et al. (2011). The 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Wildfire’s Impacts on Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems, Hydrology, and Fuels. Fort Collins, Colo.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.
- Arizona Republic, p. B9
- ^ "Grand Canyon Sierra Club Alert! 2002 Environmental Report Card". arizona.sierraclub.org. Archived from the original on 2002-08-02.
- Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ^ Independent, Michael Johnson The (16 June 2017). "Rodeo-Chediski Fire underscored need to thin forest".
External links
- Media related to Rodeo–Chediski Fire at Wikimedia Commons
- Chediski-Rodeo Fire map –