State of Emergency Declared in New Mexico

NM governor declares state of emergency due to flood potential from wildfires

Gov. Martinez has declared a State of Emergency throughout the State of New Mexico due to the enhanced flood potential caused by severe wildfires.

Wildland fires significantly reduce vegetation and soil absorption of monsoonal rains, especially in terrain that increases the risk of flooding, the governor’s office said in a statement.

“Already this year, we have seen two record-setting fires that have destroyed property and damaged terrain,” Governor Martinez said. “The burn scars left from last year and those from this year make flooding a very real possibility and we must make every effort to mitigate that threat in order to keep New Mexicans safe. This emergency declaration will make it easier for state officials to work with local authorities to employ measures that could reduce flood damage.”

The Whitewater-Baldy Fire in the Gila National Forest continues to burn and is the State’s largest recorded fire at 296,980, as of posting. The Little Bear Fire in Lincoln County has already consumed 39,458 acres and 254 structures—the largest number of structures destroyed by wildfire in New Mexico history.

Wildfires in 2011 consumed more than one million acres within NM, which makes even moderate rainfall in burned areas causing much greater than average runoff, the statement said.

Current Evacuations: All campgrounds west of Bonito Lake; Angus and Bonita Park.

Colorado

The High Park Fire in Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests / Pawnee National Grassland has grown to about 60,000 acres, destroying at least 189 homes, USFS said.

The blaze has an EXTREME growth potential in HIGH terrain difficulty, with strong west winds combined with a very dry air mass resulting in critical fire weather conditions again today, USFS said.

Evacuation Information

Mandatory evacuation and re-evacuation orders have been issued for dozens of locations affecting thousands of residents.

The following information is provided by Inciweb

PRE-evacuation notifications sent to residents along Colorado Highway 14 from the Pingree Park Road at 9:30 a.m. this morning, west to Glen Echo (mile marker 90), and north on CR69 to Goodell Corner. The pre-evacuation notice was issued in response to a new spot fire north of Highway 14 along the northwest fire perimeter.

Mandatory re-evacuation orders were issued on 6/17 for the Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon areas. This includes Lodgepole Drive and CR 23 west and south including Red Cedar Drive, and east to CR 23.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued on 6/17 for residents in the Hewlett Gulch subdivision area. The area runs from the Glacier View 9-12 filings (already evacuated) east to the Hewlett Gulch Trail, north to CR 74E and south to HWY 14.

Cloudy Pass residents were allowed to return home as of noon 6/15 (no credentials required). Residents in the Poudre Canyon up to Gateway park area (east of Gateway) were also allowed to return on 6/15.

Thursday fire officials issued an evacuation order for the 9th, 10th and 11th filings of Glacier View, to include the area west from Eiger Road to Rams Horn Mountain Road and north from the Mount Blanc Guardian Peak area to the north end of Mount Everest Drive. Fire officials also ordered evacuations of 80 residences along Many Thunders Road and south into the 12th Filing of Glacier View. Roads included in this evacuation include Meadow Mountain Drive, Little Bald Mountain Court, Grey’s Peak Court, Diamond Peak Court, Little Twins Court, Red Mountain Court, Pingree Hill Court, Rabbit Ears Court, Bullrock Court and Black Mountain Court. The road block will be located at Eiger and Many Thunders Mountain Road. An additional roadblock is located at Green Mountain Drive at CR 74E.

CR 74E remains open and a pre-evacuation alert remains in effect for the rest of Glacier View subdivision (including the area north of CR 74E), and the area south of CR 74E between Hewlett Gulch Road to the east and CR 68C to the west and HWY 14 to the south.

Evacuated residents looking to evacuate animals must contact the humane society at 226-3647. Again, do not show up at road blocks to attempt to gain access to care for or evacuate animals.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the following areas:

-Pingree Park Road, Hourglass and Comanche reservoirs, east on Buckhorn Road up to and including Pennock Pass, NE to junction with Stove Prairie and Hwy 14; West to junction with Highway 15 and Pingree Park Road

-County Road 44H (Buckhorn Road) from County Road 27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4 – 1 mile.

-Areas south and west of Bellvue to include the Lory State Park area, the Redstone Canyon area and Buckhorn Road up to the Stove Prairie School.

-Poudre Canyon from MM111 to MM118 on Highway 14. This means Poudre Canyon from Stove Prairie to MM118 is under mandatory evacuations.

-The area between CR 27E and Stove Prairie Road and south through the entire Rist Canyon area including Davis Ranch Road, Whale Rock Road.

-South on County Road 44H 3 miles to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road, Paradise Park Road, Moose Horn Lane, Magic Lane and Spencer Mountain Road.

-Old Flowers Road from Stove Prairie Road to the 8000-block of Old Flowers Road.

-Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it.

– Otter Road off of CR 27 (not a new notice; additional listing for clarification).

-Hewlett Gulch, King’s Canyon area and Boyd Gulch Road.

-Satanka Cove

Related Links

• Most Destructive Fire in Colorado History Devours 90 Sq Miles Posted on June 18, 2012
• State of Disaster Declared for Colorado’s Deadly Fire Posted on June 13, 2012
• Colorado Blaze Devours 42,000 Acres in 60 Hrs
• Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows
• Thousands Evacuated as U.S. Wildfires Grow

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Most Destructive Fire in Colorado History Devours 90 Sq Miles

High Park Fire near Fort Collins, CO, consumes about 57,000 acres, destroys 100s of homes

The most destructive fire in Colorado history has destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes, as a large portion of the western and southwestern U.S. were placed under Red Flag Warnings due to high temperatures and strong winds.

At least 181 homeowners have so far been notified they have lost their homes. The areas were the destruction occurred include  the Davis Ranch, Stove Prairie, Stratton Park, Pine Acres, Soldier Canyon, Missile Silo Road, Cloudy Pass, Picnic Rock, Spring Valley, Old Flowers, Whale Rock, Paradise Park, Tip Top, Rist Creek Rist Canyon, Poudre Fire Authority District along the Front Range and Poudre Canyon from Stove Prairie to the mouth of Poudre Canyon. “The assessment is still underway and this number will continue to grow,” said the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Fire activity increased with the winds Sunday afternoon, USFS reported. Temperatures are expected in the 90’s with winds gusting to 50MPH on ridgetops and in Poudre Canyon beginning Monday morning (local time).

Looters are reportedly targeting evacuated homes, and police have made at least one arrest.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map. Red Flag Warnings issued for 9 lower states and Hawaii.  “Fire weather conditions will worsen today across much of the interior West. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for the Sierra Nevada Mountains across the central Rockies and into the High Plains of Nebraska. This will be especially problematic for firefighters battling the High Park Wildfire near Fort Collins, Colorado. This fire is already the most destructive in Colorado history,” NWS said.

EVACUATION INFORMATION (provided by Inciweb)

6:30 PM – A new mandatory re-evacuation order has just been issued for the Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon areas. This includes Lodgepole Drive and CR 23 west and south including Red Cedar Drive, and east to CR 23.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued earlier today for residents in the Hewlett Gulch subdivision area. The area runs from the Glacier View 9-12 filings (already evacuated) east to the Hewlett Gulch Trail, north to CR 74E and south to HWY 14.

Cloudy Pass residents were allowed to return home as of noon 6/15 (no credentials required). Residents in the Poudre Canyon up to Gateway park area (east of Gateway) were allowed to return as of 2 PM 6/15.

Around 5 PM Friday, fire officials lifted the evacuation order for Satanka Cove, located at the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir.

Thursday fire officials issued an evacuation order for the 9th, 10th and 11th filings of Glacier View, to include the area west from Eiger Road to Rams Horn Mountain Road and north from the Mount Blanc Guardian Peak area to the north end of Mount Everest Drive. Fire officials also ordered evacuations of 80 residences along Many Thunders Road and south into the 12th Filing of Glacier View. Roads included in this evacuation include Meadow Mountain Drive, Little Bald Mountain Court, Grey’s Peak Court, Diamond Peak Court, Little Twins Court, Red Mountain Court, Pingree Hill Court, Rabbit Ears Court, Bullrock Court and Black Mountain Court. The road block will be located at Eiger (Glacier View Gate 1) and Many Thunders Mountain Road. An additional roadblock is located at Green Mountain Drive (Glacier View Gate 1) at CR 74E.

CR 74E remains open and a pre-evacuation alert remains in effect for the rest of Glacier View subdivision (including the area north of CR 74E), and the area south of CR 74E between Hewlett Gulch Road to the east and CR 68C to the west and HWY 14 to the south.

Evacuated residents looking to evacuate animals must contact the humane society at 226-3647. Again, do not show up at road blocks to attempt to gain access to care for or evacuate animals.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the following areas:

-Pingree Park Road, Hourglass and Comanche reservoirs, east on Buckhorn Road up to and including Pennock Pass, NE to junction with Stove Prairie and Hwy 14; West to junction with Highway 15 and Pingree Park Road

-County Road 44H (Buckhorn Road) from County Road 27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4 – 1 mile.

-Areas south and west of Bellvue to include the Lory State Park area, the Redstone Canyon area and Buckhorn Road up to the Stove Prairie School.

-Poudre Canyon from MM111 to MM118 on Highway 14. This means Poudre Canyon from Stove Prairie to MM118 is under mandatory evacuations.

-The area between CR 27E and Stove Prairie Road and south through the entire Rist Canyon area including Davis Ranch Road, Whale Rock Road.

-South on County Road 44H 3 miles to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road, Paradise Park Road, Moose Horn Lane, Magic Lane and Spencer Mountain Road.

-Old Flowers Road from Stove Prairie Road to the 8000-block of Old Flowers Road.

-Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it.

-Hewlett Gulch, King’s Canyon area and Boyd Gulch Road.

Approximately 3,100 notifications (contacts, not residences) have been sent for evacuations on this fire. As of Friday, 1,199 notifications (contacts, not residents) were sent notifying residences that they could return home.

Other Significant Wildfires

• Springer Fire, a new wildfire which erupted on Sunday in the Pike National Forest in Colorado, has consumed more than 450 acres and is rapidly growing, USFS reported.
  • The blaze has forced the mandatory evacuations of about 500 Boy Scouts camping in the area and nearby  subdivisions, USFS said.

• North Schell Fire, Ely District, Nevada.  The blaze started Saturday June 9th, 2012 and has grown to about 25,000 acres with EXTREME growth potential.

• Little Bear Fire, Lincoln National Forest, NM. The blaze has grown to more than 38,000 acres but is reportedly 60% contained.
  • Mandatory evacuation in place at all  campgrounds west of Bonito Lake; Angus and Bonita Park, USFS reported.

• Whitewater Baldy Complex Fire, Reserve Ranger District, NM.  The state’s largest historical fire has grown to about300,000 acres and is reportedly 80% contained. However, the blaze is said to have a HIGH growth potential.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

Typhoon GUCHOL. Source: CIMSS

Tropical Storm TALIM. Source: CIMSS

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
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Colorado Blaze Devours 42,000 Acres in 60 Hrs

High Park Fire in Larimer County, CO, consumes 42,000 acres in 2½ Days

The High Park Fire in Larimer County about 15 miles west of Fort Collins was sparked by lightning on Saturday June 11 and has already consumed an estimated 42,000 acres (~ 65 sq miles, 170 km²), destroying at least 120 structures. 

Flame lengths of 300 feet have been reported, with the fire moving at up to 40 feet per minute at times, Inciweb reported. The blaze is currently zero percent contained and the activity is expected to increase due to the “very, very dry fuels,” wind and fire weather conditions.

“The hope for containment today is tenuous — totally dependent on the weather,” said the incident commander. “We may be at zero percent tonight.”

Thousands of people have abandoned their homes amid demands by Colorado’s congressional delegation that the U.S. Forest Service commits more resources to the fire.

The blaze has claimed at least one life, as of posting.

Panorama of High Park fire from the 3rd floor of Rigden Farm Senior Living Complex, Southeast Fort Collins, 6:15 p.m. June 10, 2012.  Photo courtesy of Jane Thomson

Inciweb said,

Pre-evacuation planning is underway with Glacier View Fire but no pre-evacuation orders have been sent.

Fire movement toward the northwest portion of Horsetooth Reservoir has subsided, however fire activity has the potential to increase in the afternoon.

The evacuation center is located at the McKee Building at The Ranch.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the following areas:

-South of County Road 38E from Gindler Ranch Road west to Milner Ranch Road (325 notifications).

-County Road 38E is now closed from Masonville to Harmony Road at the junction of Taft Hill Road.

-Crystal Mountain area including Crystal Mountain Road and the Upper Buckhorn (24 notifications).

-Bonner Peak Subdivision (183 notifications)

-Buckhorn Rd from CR27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4-1 mile. (69 notifications).

-North of CR38E, from Horsetooth Reservoir to Redstone Canyon to Lory State Park. (326 notifications)

-Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it. All of Rist Canyon (west of 27E) and all roads off of it, including Whale Rock Road and Davis Ranch Road. South 3 additional miles on County Road 44H to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road.

-Poudre Park (along Highway 14) area from mile marker 111 to mile marker 118.

-Highway 14 from Ted’s Place to Stove Prairie is closed, as well as Stove Prairie Road and Rist Canyon.

-Sunday include all residents from County Road 27E to Bellvue and for the area south and west of Bellvue, including Lory State Park and Red Stone Canyon, and Buckhorn Road from Masonville up to Stove Prairie School. Evacuation ordered for CR 29C and McMurry Ranch Road (33 notifications).

Approximately 2,600 notifications (contacts, not residents) have been sent for evacuations on this fire.

An undetermined number of structures have been damaged or destroyed in Rist Canyon, Paradise Park, Stove Prairie, Poudre Park, Old Flowers, Stratton Park, Kings Canyon and Cloudy Pass. There could be structure damage in other locations, including Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon. No details about the structures are available. Firefighters will continue to evaluate the area as it is safe to do so.

Evacuations have happened quickly.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• The U.S. Gulf Coast.Parts of Alabama and Florida received up to 2 feet of rain between midnight Saturday and 8:00am Monday, which caused severe flooding and extensive damage.
  • Numerous communities from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle have already been inundated, with the worst of flooding yet to follow as runoff continues and rivers begin rising.
  • Additional rainfall is expected in the area again today.

• China.

Mustard Gas-like smog  envelops Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, June 11, 2012. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

A flooded village in Huitong County, central China’s Hunan Province. Torrential rains pummeled southern China. As of noon Monday, 112,000 people had been affected and 26,000 people evacuated in Huitong county, which borders Guizhou province. The county is believed to have suffered direct economic losses of 230 million yuan. (Xinhua/Zhao Haibo. 

Related Links

• Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows
• Thousands Evacuated as U.S. Wildfires Grow

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Thousands Evacuated as U.S. Wildfires Grow

Wildfires in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and California force thousands to evacuate, consume hundreds of structures

New Mexico. The Little Bear Fire located in Smokey Bear Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest, and the White Mountain Wilderness, has now grown to more than 26,000 acres (~ 41 sq miles; 105km²), destroying or damaging dozens of structures.

Evacuations: All campgrounds west of Bonito Lake; subdivisions of Villa Madonna, Enchanted Forest, Nogal Canyon (Forest Road 400, campground and summer homes), Angus, Sierra Vista, Sontara (1,2 and 3), Rancho Ruidoso, Copper Canyon, and Loma Grande; Eagle Lakes Campground, Eagle Creek summer homes, Ski Run Road (State Highway 532) at mile marker 3, State Highway 48 to Capitan, and State Highway 37 to Highway 380 and Ski Apache.

Shelters: First Baptist Church on Country Club Road, Church of Christ on Sudderth Road in Ruidoso, and Trinity Baptist Church in Capitan. Pets and livestock may be taken to J&J Country Church in Ruidoso, or the fairgrounds in Capitan.

The blaze is 0% contained, and is aided by air temps of 82ºF, relative humidity of less than 6 percent, and westerly winds of 20mph.

Colorado. The High Park Fire, located approximately 15 miles west of Fort Collins, was sparked Saturday June 9th  and has consumed  more than 20,000 acres (~ 31 sq miles; 81km²); the blaze continues to grow rapidly.

• The blaze has a HIGH growth potential among areas of rough terrain and beetle killed trees.
• The fire has damaged or destroyed at least 2 dozens structure, threatening many more.
• New evacuation order for the area south of County Road 38E from Gindler Ranch Road west to Milner Ranch Road (325 notifications). This area is located south and west of the Horsetooth Reservoir inlet. The High Park Fire is moving rapidly in this direction, Inciweb reported.
• Other evacuation orders include:
  • Crystal Mountain area including Crystal Mountain Road and the Upper Buckhorn. The burning pattern of High Park Fire could potentially cut off exit routes for residents in this area and they should leave now (24 notifications).
    
  • Any residents who have not already left the Crystal Mountain Area must now evacuate to the west on Buckhorn Road. County Road 27 is no longer passable so evacuation to the east is impossible.
  • Evacuation orders have also been issued for the Bonner Peak Subdivision (183 notifications), Buckhorn Rd from CR27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4-1 mile. (69 notifications). Evacuation order issued for the area North of CR38E, from Horsetooth Reservoir to Redstone Canyon to Lory State Park. (326 notifications)
  • Evacuations have been ordered for Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it.
  • All of Rist Canyon (west of 27E) and all roads off of it, including Whale Rock Road and Davis Ranch Road. South 3 additional miles on County Road 44H to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road.
  • At 11:10 P.M. an evacuation alert has been sent to the Poudre Park (along Highway 14) area from mile marker 111 to mile marker 118.
  • Additionally Highway 14 from Ted’s Place to Stove Prairie is closed, as well as Stove Prairie Road and Rist Canyon. Additional evacuations as of approximately 5 a.m. Sunday include all residents from County Road 27E to Bellvue and for the area south and west of Bellvue, including Lory State Park and Red Stone Canyon, and Buckhorn Road from Masonville up to Stove Prairie School.
  • Evacuation ordered for CR 29C and McMurry Ranch Road (33 notifications). Approximately 2,200 notifications (contacts, not residents) have been sent for evacuations on this fire.

Gila National Forest wildfire

New Mexico’s Gov. Martinez has already declared state of emergency in Catron County, where the largest wildfire in state’s history,  Gila National Forest wildfire (Whitewater Baldy Complex fire), has consumed about 280,000 acres, with 37% contained.

The fire is currently aided by air temps of 86ºF, relative humidity of less than 7 percent.

See also: Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows

Wyoming. A wildfire in Wyoming’s Guernsey State Park has consumed ABOUT 4,000 acres and forced the evacuation of up to 1,000 campers and visitors, AP reported.

Other Major Fires include

• Arizona. Gladiator – 16,240 acres – Prescott National Forest – 45% contained.

• California.  George Bush Fire – 1,707 acres – George Bush Tree/Golden Trout Wilderness – Sequoia National Forest – 85% contained.

• Colorado. Little Sand – 8,238 acres – San Juan National Forest – 13 miles NW of Pagosa Springs – 30% contained.

• Utah. Box Creek Fire – 5 miles west of Greenwich – 2,018 acres – 75% contained.

• Utah. Lost Lake Fires – 2,076 acres – Fishlake National Forest – 55% contained.

• Wyoming.  Cow Camp Fire – 8,493 acres – Medicine Bow – Routt National Forest – 20 Miles NE of Wheatland –  70% contained.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• China.  Extreme rain events in southern China have left large parts of Jiangxi, Hunan and Guizhou provinces submerged affecting millions of people.
  • Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
  • Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated.
  • Tens of thousands of hectares of crop have been destroyed.
  • Flooding in Hunan province triggered massive landslides blocking major railroads, including Hukun Railway, which connects Shanghai and Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, a report said.
  • The authorities reported about a dozen dead or missing.

• Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.Two earthquakes measuring 5.4 and 5.7Mw struck Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, about 175km north of Kabul.
  •  The quakes destroyed dozens of homes in Dara Azara, a remote village in the Baghlan province, burying about 100 people in the rubble, reports said.

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa (ESRL/Global Monitoring Division)

• Week of June 3, 2012:     395.38 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.69 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.82 ppm

The graph, updated weekly, shows as individual points daily mean CO₂ up to and including the week (Sunday through Saturday) previous to today. The daily means are based on hours during which CO₂ was likely representative of “background” conditions, defined as times when the measurement is representative of air at mid-altitudes over the Pacific Ocean. That air has had several days time or more to mix, smoothing out most of the CO₂ variability encountered elsewhere, making the measurements representative of CO₂ over hundreds of km or more. The selection process is designed to filter out any influence of nearby emissions, or removals, of CO₂ such as caused by the vegetation on the island of Hawaii, and likewise emissions from the volcanic crater of Mauna Loa. The weekly mean (red bar) is simply the average of all days in the week for which a background value could be defined. The average standard deviation of day to day variability, calculated as the difference from the appropriate weekly mean, equals 0.38 ppm for the entire record. As a visual aid, the blue lines present monthly means of background data as they are presented under Recent Monthly CO₂ at Mauna Loa. PDF Version. ESRL/Mauna Loa Global Monitoring Division.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows

Western wildfires consume dozens of structures, force hundreds to evacuate

A lightning-sparked blaze, the Little Bear Fire, located in White Mountain Wilderness above Bonito Lake in Lincoln County, has so far consumed dozens of structures as it ballooned to more than 10,000 acres almost overnight.

The fire, which started on June 4, is yet to be mapped by GPS for a more accurate estimate of size, the authorities said, as Lincoln County commissioners declared the fast-growing blaze a disaster.

As many as several hundred people have been evacuated from various areas including summer homes and campgrounds close to the fire, and shelters have been set up in Ruidoso and Capitan.

Meantime, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued red flag warning for parts of 10 states.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map.  Portal

Gila National Forest wildfire

New Mexico’s Gov. Martinez has already declared state of emergency in Catron County, where the largest wildfire in state’s history,  Gila National Forest wildfire (Whitewater Baldy Complex fire), has consumed about 280,000 acres, with less than a third contained.

NM fires are currently aided by air temps of 82ºF and humidity of less than 4 percent.

 Latest available map for Gila National Forest wildfire (Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire). Source: US Forest Service Gila National Forest

[Manmade Volcano] Gila forest, south side of Big Dry.  Photo taken by JoDee Goatz. Credit USFS Gila National Forest

Colorado. The High Park Fire, a fast-moving wildfire which has exploded to more than 8,000 acres since Saturday, is located 15 miles west of Fort Collins. “The fire has crossed County Road 27 south of the Stove Prairie School. High winds are fueling this fire and causing evacuations.” Inciweb reported.

“Evacuations have been ordered for Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it. Additionally, all of Rist Canyon (west of 27E) and all roads off of it, including Whale Rock Road and Davis Ranch Road. South 3 additional miles on County Road 44H to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road. (Over 800 notifications (contacts, not residents) sent.) A pre-evacuation alert was issued for the Buckhorn Road between mile markers 25 and 27. (5 notifications) At 11:10 P.M. an evacuation alert has been sent to the Poudre Park (along Highway 14) area from mile marker 111 to mile marker 118 (Kings Canyon/Boyd Gulch area). (31 notifications).Additionally Highway 14 from Ted’s Place to Stove Prairie is closed, as well as Stove Prairie Road and Rist Canyon. Ten structures are confirmed lost or damaged and others are threatened.” The report said.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Florida, USA.  Escambia County in Florida’s panhandle has declared a state of emergency amid an extreme rain event which triggered severe flooding, with the damage so far estimated at $20million, authorities said.
  • A storm moving across the Gulf Coast pummeled parts of Alabama and Florida.
  • Pensacola received up to 18 inches of rain by Saturday, reports said.
  • “Emergency shelters were opened at a few local schools for people who were urged to evacuate from low-lying areas, the newspaper reported. Thousands were without power. Neighboring Santa Rosa County had about 40 homes flooded.” AP reported.
  • “Mobile, Alabama, saw 15 inches (38 cm) of rain that stranded people in cars and caused a dam to break on a private lake, officials said,” Reuters reported.
  • NWS has forecast “a prolonged period of heavy rainfall” and possibility of  flooding “across portions of the Central Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.”

• NY, USA.  Mega brigades of armyworms have destroyed acres of feed in a Buffalo farm and elsewhere in New York and Pennsylvania.
  • “A storm system, about a month ago, brought adult Armyworm moths to Western, New York (from the south),” said Walter Nelson, Program Leader Agriculture & Horticulture at Cornell Cooperative Extension Monroe County.
  • The worms have also been reported in across upstate, in Livingston, Monroe and Orleans counties, as well as in Clarence, Evans, Genesee, Marilla, Newstead  and Wyoming counties.
  • Armyworms invade Pennsylvania lawns!
  • See video.

• Greece. Magnitude 6.1 quake centered at 28.94°E 36.35°N and depth of 10km struck Dodecanese Islands, Greece at 12:44:14.6 UTC (2012-06-10), GEOFON Program reported.
  • The quake struck about 60 km E of Rodos, Dodecanese Islands, Greece and 100km SSE of Mugla, Turkey.
  • The quake may have caused at least moderate damage and casualties; however, there were  and NO reports available as of posting.

Earthquake Map – Dodecanese Islands, Greece.

• Burma.  Burma’s president has declared a state of emergency in the western state of Rakhine, after a week of sectarian violence in the region, which has left at least 17 people dead and hundreds of properties destroyed or damaged, reports said.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar