June 25, 2002
SHOW LOW, Arizona (CNN) -- President Bush arrived in Arizona on Tuesday after declaring parts of the state federal disaster areas in the wake of a devastating wildfire that has burned more than 351,000 acres.
Bush planned to meet with firefighters and area residents and get an aerial view of the Rodeo-Chediski fire before heading on to the G8 summit in Canada.
The presidential declaration for Apache and Navajo counties and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation makes the areas eligible for $20 million in emergency aid. Flames have destroyed at least 375 homes and 16 businesses and displaced 30,000 people.
As the president arrived, the edge of the fire was about a half-mile Tuesday from the town of Show Low. .
"It's still outside the town, but it's getting close," said Navajo County sheriff's dispatcher Heather Sanchez.
Winds were expected to remain low Tuesday, and fire officials said they were able to cut off more approaches to the town by setting up fire lines. If those hold, the officials predicted they might be able to keep the fire at bay.
Firefighters put red tags on homes in Show Low that were at special risk -- those with shingle roofs or surrounded by woodpiles and brush. Fire-retardant slurry was dropped on those houses and outside fuel sources removed for extra protection.
The Chediski and Rodeo fires began merging Sunday, forming a single, 50-mile-wide blaze by Monday.
'Devastating for the people'
Most of Show Low's residents left their homes over the weekend. Other communities evacuated were Pinedale, Clay Springs, Linden, Heber, Overgaard, Pinetop, Lakeside, Hon Dah, Forest Lake and Wagon Wheel. The Red Cross set up four shelters in the area.
"It's very detrimental and traumatic," said Lori Lacy, who was evacuated from her Linden home to the rodeo grounds in Eagar, east of Show Low.
"You see things on TV all the time, and you never think it'll happen to you. And I know it's not as bad as 9/11, but it's very devastating for the people," she said. "Basically, all we can do is pray and have faith at this point."
She said her family was told to take a three-day supply of clothes, food, water and other materials with them. But she was finding these provisions insufficient.
"I would have taken more clothes, more things to read, more comforting things for my children," Lacy said. She said even if her home burns, the family will return and put a trailer on the property until they can rebuild.
Lacy praised Bush for visiting the area.
"It's wonderful that he would even -- such a small town as this -- that he'd even come here and support the people," she said.
About half of the fire was burning on Apache tribal property and half on national forestland, said Linda Martin, spokeswoman for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest that surrounds Show Low and other affected towns.
The fire was centered at two state highways -- 277 to the north near Snowflake and 260 to the south near the Fort Apache reservation, said Nancy Lull, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Officials said the cause of the Rodeo blaze, which began June 18 just north of Cibecue on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, was under investigation. They said the Chediski blaze that began Thursday south of Heber was started by an injured hiker who was trying to signal a helicopter.
-- Correspondents Charles Molineaux and Eric Philips contributed to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/06/25/arizona.wildfires/index.html