On June 18th an arson fire was set just north east of Cibique on the Fort Apache
Indian Reservation. The Rodeo fire, so named because it started near the rodeo
fairgrounds, burns up to 300 acres before nightfall.
June 19th the fire leaps from treetop to treetop among the Ponderosa Pines.
Flames reach 300 feet and temperatures near the head of the fire reach 2000 degrees. The fire now six miles wide moves north at 1.5 MPH and forces fire crews to pull off the front lines by mid morning. About 5000 people in Clay Springs, Pinedale and Linden begin evacuating. Arizona 260 between Heber and Show Low is closed as the fire consumes 10,000 acres by 17:00 HRS. And we get the call!
At the request of Navajo County Officials Sheriff Joe Arpaio issues a callout to the entire Posse and initiates one of, if not the largest mobilization in Posse history.
On June 20th a hiker who had been lost for three days hears a helicopter overhead and in a panic lights a small signal fire. Unwittingly this hiker put into play one factor that created an almost unimaginable series event that converge to create “The Perfect Fire”.
In seconds the signal fire was out of control and began to run up the side of the 6589-foot Chediski Peak. A news helicopter spotted the fire and landed nearby to rescue the lost hiker. The news chopper radios in the co-ordinates of the new fire. Before firefighters could arrive the blaze raced over a ridge and out of control. The two fires are only 15 miles apart and would join up in only a few hours and would then be described as a “monster”. By the end of the day the Chediski fire grows to 1500 acres and the Rodeo fire has leaped the Mogollon Rim and forced the evacuations of Heber, Overgard and Aripine. The Jeep Posse members respond to the call out and are deployed on back roads, trails and highways to assist local authorities in keeping evacuees from attempting to return to evacuated areas dangerously close to the fire. Some of us man our posts 12 to 24 hours some times alone, with out relief.
June 21st by midday the Rodeo fire has consumed 150,000 acres, the Chediski has burned 16,000 acres and 8000 people from six towns have been evacuated.
June 22nd the fires combine to char more than 235,000 acres, nearly the size of Mesa, Chandler, Tempe and Scottsdale combined. By the evening the fire reaches Hop Canyon and triggers the ordered evacuation of Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside and over 10,000 residents get the order to leave town. Many more Jeepers have now joined the effort and are deployed into Show Low to assist in evacuations.
June 23rd through June 25th the fire reaches to within ¼ mile of Show Low and to within 500 yards of the Torreon Golf Club Community after burning over 375,000 acres, the size of Los Angeles, and is growing in several directions and making a run towards Taylor. Some of us are still manning roadblocks, others are now patrolling Show Low, Lakeside and Pinetop helping local law enforcement watch out for looters and clearing homes where open doors have been found. Our hours are long and we get very little sleep. MCSO base camp has been set up on the grass athletic field of the local elementary school.
June 26th the fire continues to grow but firefighters now claim a 5% containment in the area of Clay Springs.
June 27th the fire has taken 417,000 acres and remains quite near Show Low but containment is now listed at 10%
June 28th containment is now at 27% but flames have reached within 2 miles of homes in Forrest Lakes and the fire has topped 447,000 acres.
June 29th so far the blaze has charred 447,000 acres at a cost of at least $17 million dollars. Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside residents are allowed to return to their homes. The Jeepers continue to patrol as well as assist in an orderly transition as thousands of residents begin to return.
June 30th a suspect is charged in the Rodeo fire. Mean while firefighters gain more of an upper hand as the fire grows to 464,000 acres but is now 45% contained.
July 1st through July 6th Firefighters continue to make headway and beat down the monster that consumed over 468,000 acres, involved over 1,130 firefighters and numerous personnel from cooperating agencies such as Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Navajo, Coconino, and Apache Counties, School Districts and the State of Arizona. The Jeepers as well as the hundreds of other Posse members begin to head back down to the valley knowing that they have preformed an outstanding service for the Sheriff’s Office as well as for our Arizona brethren to the north.