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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 14 June 2022

ARUBA

CLEAN

IS MORE
DUSHI

Continued from Front Weather Service said. ers who were out enjoying
"It's literally like déjà vu," said In Northern California, a 50- the forest also had to leave
Coconino County sheriff's mile (80-km) stretch of State Sunday. A shelter was set
spokesman Jon Paxton. Route 70 was closed in- up at a middle school.
"We are in the same exact definitely on Monday after Strong winds sent embers
spot doing the same exact mud, boulders and dead across U.S. Route 89, the
thing as we were a month trees inundated lanes dur- main route to the turnoff
and a half ago. People are ing flash floods along a for the Grand Canyon's
tired." wildfire burn scar. east rim entrance, through
Wildfires broke out early this Several drivers were res- the Navajo Nation and up
spring in multiple states in cued Sunday evening from into Utah. Many people
the Western U.S., where cli- debris flowing on the high- commute between the res-
mate change and an en- way when hillsides burned ervation and Flagstaff for
during drought are fanning bare by last year's enor- work. Parts of the highway
the frequency and intensity mous Dixie Fire came loose. remained closed Monday.
of forest and grassland fires. No injuries were reported. "We're not working directly
The number of square miles The causes of the latest on suppressing the fire to
burned so far this year is California fires were under get the whole thing out
more than double the 10- investigation. right now," said Coconino
year national average, A firefighter watches as a helicopter drops water on the Sheep U.S. Forest Service law en- National Forest spokesman
and states like New Mexico Fire burning in Wrightwood, Calif., Sunday, June 12, 2022. forcement officers cited Brady Smith. "That's not our
already have set records Associated Press a 57-year-old camper for focus and it's not possible
with devastating blazes lighting toilet paper on fire right now. Right now, it's go-
that destroyed hundreds of over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) square miles (3.9 square and placing it under a rock ing to be focused on pro-
homes while causing envi- away from an Alaska Na- km) of pine trees and dry Saturday near the origin of tecting life and property."
ronmental damage that is tive village. Moderate tem- brush, said fire spokesper- the Arizona wildfire. The fire Smoke from the fire near
expected to effect water peratures and a shift in the son Dana Dierkes. was reported a day later. Flagstaff caused hazy skies
supplies. wind that had been driving "The fuel is very dry, so it Court documents show in Colorado on Monday,
Nationally, more than 6,200 the fire toward St. Mary's will acts like a ladder, carrying the man told authorities he obscuring views of the
wildland firefighters were allow firefighters to directly flames from the bottom of tried to put the fire out with Rocky Mountains from Den-
battling nearly three dozen attack the flames and in- the trees to the very top," Di- his sleeping bag, but his at- ver and other cities along
uncontained fires that had crease protections for the erkes said. Crews were also torney said in federal court the state's Front Range.
charred over 1 million acres Yup'ik community. contending with unpredict- Monday that doesn't mean Meanwhile, firefighters
(4,408 square kilometers), The lightning-sparked fire able winds that were ex- his client was responsible worked to contain a small
according to the National is estimated at about 193 pected to strengthen later for sparking the blaze. wildfire burning in juniper
Interagency Fire Center. square miles (500 square in the day, she said. Flagstaff resident Janetta and pinion pine that briefly
Even in Alaska, forecasters kilometers). It's burning dry Aside from mandatory Kathleen rode her horse, caused evacuation orders
have warned that many grass and shrubs in south- evacuations for some, the Squish, up a hill to get a Sunday in the San Luis Val-
southwestern fires have west Alaska's mostly tree- remainder of the moun- better look at the wild- ley's Rio Grande National
grown exceptionally over less tundra. tain town of Wrightwood, fire Sunday evening and Forest in southern Colo-
the last week, which is un- In California, evacuation with about 4,500 residents, watched it creep toward rado. The National Weath-
usual for that area. South- were ordered for about was under an evacuation homes in the shadow of the er Service issued red flag
west Alaska normally expe- 300 remote homes near a warning. Several roads also mountain. Her home isn't warnings for high fire dan-
riences shorter periods of wildfire that flared up over were closed. directly in the fire's path, ger in central and southern
high fire danger because the weekend in forest land The fire was 18% contained. but her family, two bulldogs parts of Colorado as well as
intermittent rain can pro- northeast of Los Angeles Fire conditions were el- and horses are ready to go parts of Arizona, New Mexi-
vide relief, but since mid- near the Pacific Crest Trail evated because of warm at a moment's notice. co and Utah.
May the region has been in the San Gabriel Moun- and dry weekend weather "I need to know what's go- Winds are expected to
hot and windy, helping to tains. across Southern California. ing on because I have de- ease after Monday with
dry out vegetation. The blaze saw renewed Monday was expected cisions to make for my fam- some moisture moving in
Favorable weather Mon- growth Sunday afternoon to be cooler, but another ily," she said. "If the winds later this week in parts of
day helped slow progres- and by midday Monday heatwave was expected shift, we'll be in trouble." the Southwest, the weather
sion of a tundra wildfire just had scorched about 1.5 at midweek, the National Hikers, campers and oth- service said.q