>>> WILDFIRES BURNING ACROSS

ARIZONA.

>> SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA IS

PROBABLY ONE OF THE HOTTEST

DRIEST PLACES IN OUR GEOGRAPHIC

AREA.

>> THE MONSOON EN ROUTE, WILL IT

BRING RELIEF?

>> EVENTUALLY WE GET ENOUGH

MOISTURE IN TO WHERE HUMIDITY

STAYS AT HIGHER LEVELS AND THEN

THAT DOES EVENTUALLY HELP

FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS.

>> PLUS A SHOOTING NEAR OUR

NATION'S CAPITOL.

THIS IS "ARIZONA WEEK."

♪♪

>>> HELLO AND THANKS FOR JOINING

US, WE'RE IN COCHISE COUNTY THIS

WEEK COVERING THE LIZARD FIRE.

WE WILL GET TO THE STORY IN JUST

A MOMENT, BUT FIRST A SHOOTING

NEAR OUR NATION'S CAPITOL.

ARIZONA SENATOR JEFF FLAKE WAS

THERE WHEN THE SHOTS RANG OUT.

WE TURN TO ARIZONA PUBLIC

MEDIA'S CHRISTOPHER CONOVER FOR

MORE.

>> ARIZONA SENATOR JEFF FLAKE

WAS STANDING ALONG THE FIRST

BASELINE WHEN THE SHOOTING BEGAN

AT THE REPUBLICAN BASEBALL

PRACTICE.

>> THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IRONICALLY

ONE OF THE EVENTS IN CONGRESS,

ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONS IN

CONGRESS, THAT BREEDS

BIPARTISANSHIP.

OF COURSE, IT'S REPUBLICANS

AGAINST DEMOCRATS, BUT WE ALL

GET TOGETHER BEFORE THE GAME TO

PROMOTE IT, WE RAISE MONEY

TOGETHER FOR THESE CHARITIES AND

THEN WE HAVE A BIG AFTER PARTY

WITH BOTH PARTIES ENGAGED.

AND SO IT'S ONE OF THE MOST

BIPARTISAN AND FRANKLY ONE OF

THE FEW LASTING INSTITUTIONS OF

BIPARTISANSHIP IN CONGRESS.

>> SENATOR FLAKE CAME TO TUCSON

FOLLOWING THE 2011 SHOOTING WHEN

DEMOCRAT GABRIELLE GIFFORDS WAS

WOUNDED.

THAT EVENT BROUGHT CIVILITY AND

MANY QUESTION WHETHER THAT CAN

HAPPEN NOW.

>> WELL, I THINK FOR A TIME WE

HAD IT AND IT WAS A NICE

RESPITE.

I HOPE THAT THIS LASTS LONGER

THIS TIME.

IT'S BEEN NEEDED FOR A LONG

TIME, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT

SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS TO

PROMPT IT AND MAKE US THINK, YOU

KNOW, ABOUT IT.

>> THE CALLS FOR CIVILITY ARE

NOT LIMITED TO THOSE IN POWER,

THOUGH FLAKE SAYS IT NEEDS TO

START WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.

SOUTHERN ARIZONA CONGRESSWOMAN

MARTHA McSALLY, A REPUBLICAN,

ALSO ADDRESSED REPORTERS ABOUT

THE NEED FOR CIVILITY.

>> I'VE MET SOME PEOPLE IN THE

LAST FEW WEEKS THAT HAVE

DIFFERENT POLITICS WITHIN THEIR

MARRIAGE OR WITHIN THEIR FAMILY

AND THEY HARDLY CAN TALK TO EACH

OTHER.

COME ON, AMERICA.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE AMERICANS AND

WE NEED TO BE UNITED AND THE

ENEMY IS OUT THERE, THE ENEMY IS

NOT IN HERE.

>> THREE CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS

WERE AT PRACTICE AS SECURITY FOR

REPRESENTATIVE STEVE SCALISE

BECAUSE HE IS THE REPUBLICAN

WHIP IN THE HOUSE.

THAT'S THE THIRD HIGHEST RANKING

MEMBER.

IF HE HADN'T BEEN THERE NO

OFFICERS WOULD HAVE BEEN

PRESENT.

MOST PEOPLE SAY THAT WOULD HAVE

LED TO MORE CASUALTIES.

DURING A FACEBOOK LIVE TOWN HALL

ON THURSDAY ARIZONA REPUBLICAN

SENATOR JOHN McCAIN SAID

SECURITY IS A TOUGH QUESTION,

ADDING HE HAS NEVER HAD A

SECURITY GUARD OTHER THAN SECRET

SERVICE PROTECTION DURING HIS

PRESIDENTIAL RUN IN 2008.

>> I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE

GOT TO SORT OUT.

I THINK THE SHOCK OF THESE

KILLINGS AND WOUNDING IS JUST --

YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMETHING

WE'RE THINKING, WOW, AT A

CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME

PRACTICE?

REALLY?

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SORT

IT OUT.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO

HAVE HEARINGS IN OUR RULES

COMMITTEE WHICH SET THE

PARAMETERS FOR PEOPLE BEING ABLE

TO COME IN AND OUT OF THE

CAPITOL AND I THINK AT LEAST IT

REQUIRES SOME HEARINGS AND SOME

EXPERTS BEFORE THE CONGRESSIONAL

COMMITTEES TO SAY, LOOK, YOU ARE

IN DANGER OR YOU ARE NOT IN

DANGER, OR HERE IS WHAT SOME OF

THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT YOU

MIGHT -- ACTION YOU MIGHT TAKE.

IT CAN'T BE IGNORED.

>> SOUTHERN ARIZONA

CONGRESSIONAL RAUL GRIHALVA SAID

BY PHONE HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES

MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY SHOULD

MEET WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

>> MAYBE WE WILL LIKELY GO ALONG

PRETENDING NOTHING EVER HAPPENED

THAT'S AN ATTITUDE I HAVE TO

HAVE OTHERWISE YOU'RE LIVING IN

A SHELL AND IN A REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED

TO DO THAT.

>> SOME NEW SECURITY MEASURES

ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AT THE U.S.

CAPITOL.

MORE MAY BE COMING.

>> BACK TO WILDFIRES NOW.

THERE ARE NEARLY 30 BURNING

THROUGHOUT ARIZONA THIS WEEK.

MANY OF THEM CONSIDERED TYPE ONE

INCIDENTS, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

ARIZONA IS LEADING THE WAY IN

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC,

ESPECIALLY THE DEAF COMMUNITY.

HERE IS CAMEO HUNSAKER, AN

INTERPRETER AND YOU WILL BE

SEEING A LOT OF HER THROUGHOUT

THIS BROADCAST.

>> SO I AM A NATIONALLY

CERTIFIED SIGN LANGUAGE

INTERPRETER.

NORMALLY I FREELANCE, I'M AN

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, BUT HERE

WE ARE SENT ON THIS FIRE BY THE

ARIZONA COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF

AND HARD OF HEARING WHO STARTED

A PROGRAM CALLED THE EMERGENCY

RESPONSE CREDENTIALING PROGRAM

FOR INTERPRETERS.

SO THE INTERPRETERS COULD BE

AVAILABLE AT ANY TYPE ONE

INCIDENTS ALL OVER THE STATE.

THERE IS A NEED FOR SIGN

LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION TO BE

PROVIDED, ESPECIALLY WITH NEWS

BROADCASTS DURING AN EMERGENCY.

IT'S A COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDES

ACCESS TO ALL DEAF PEOPLE.

FOR MANY DEAF PEOPLE SIGN

LANGUAGE, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

IS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE NOT

ENGLISH AND SO THERE CAN BE A

LANGUAGE BARRIER CLOSED

CAPTIONING ISN'T ALWAYS

COMPLETELY ACCURATE, AEITHER.

CLOSED CAPTIONING IS A WONDERFUL

SERVICE AND WORKS GREAT FOR OUR

HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITIES AND

THE DEAF POPULATION HAS A

STRONGER COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE, UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS

A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE DEAF

POPULATION AND A LOT OF DEAF

PEOPLE DO STRUGGLE WITH WRITTEN

ENGLISH.

SO IN ORDER FOR ALL OF OUR --

OUR MESSAGE TO BE ACCESSED

EQUALLY BY THE DEAF POPULATION

WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE

INTERPRETERS ON THE NEWS AND IN

OTHER MEDIA BROADCASTS USING

THEIR NATURAL LANGUAGE, THEIR A

LANGUAGE, WHICH IS AMERICAN SIGN

LANGUAGE.

SO JUST LIKE HEARING PEOPLE DEAF

PEOPLE THEIR EDUCATION LEVELS

RUN THE GAMUT, JUST LIKE THE

HEARING POPULATION.

ONE THING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE

A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT IS THAT

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN SIGN

LANGUAGE ARE NOT THE SAME.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE HAS A

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYNTAX AND

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STRUCTURE

AND FOR MANY DEAF PEOPLE

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE IS THEIR

FIRST LENGTH BADGE AND ENGLISH

IS THEIR SECOND LANGUAGE.

TEACHING DEAF KIDS IN SCHOOL

ENGLISH LITERACY HAS BEEN A

CHALLENGE FOR 200 YEARS.

SO ENGLISH IS A CHALLENGE FOR

QUITE A FEW DEAF PEOPLE AND WHEN

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE

PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO THIS

INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY DURING

AN EMERGENCY, WHAT THAT MEANS IS

PROVIDING THE INFORMATION TO THE

DEAF COMMUNITY IN THEIR NATURAL

LANGUAGE, THEIR A LANGUAGE WHICH

IS SIGN LANGUAGE.

THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY

ACT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 25

YEARS, HOWEVER, THE -- THE

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEAF

POPULATION TEND TO BE A LITTLE

VAGUE, CLOSED CAPTIONING WAS

PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT OF AS BEING A

WAY TO PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS AND

UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE DEAF

COMMUNITY IT JUST -- IT JUST

LACKS IN ACCESS.

SO DURING, AGAIN, DURING THESE

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WE WANT TO

MAKE SURE THAT THE DEAF

POPULATION OF ARIZONA HAS UP TO

THE MINUTE, ACCURATE

INFORMATION, JUST LIKE THE

HEARING POPULATION DOES.

THIS IS A BRAND NEW PROGRAM, IT

JUST STARTED IN THE LAST YEAR,

ALTHOUGH I KNOW PEOPLE AT

ARIZONA COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF

AND HARD OF HEARING HAVE BEEN

RAMPING THIS UP FOR QUITE SOME

TIME.

THE FIRST COHORT OF INTERPRETERS

WAS JUST TRAINED WITHIN THE PAST

YEAR AND THIS IS OUR FIRST FIRE

SEASON.

WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS

BECOMES MUCH MORE COMMONPLACE

AND ALL OF THE WILDFIRES ACROSS

THE STATE AS WELL AS ANY OTHER

EMERGENCY RESPONSE INCIDENTS AND

HOPEFULLY OTHER STATES WILL LOOK

AT ARIZONA AS A MODEL IN THIS

BECAUSE AS FAR AS WE KNOW WE ARE

THE OPENLY STATE TO HAVE THIS

ROBUST OF A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE

ACCESS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.

SO WE ARE REALLY THE LEADER.

THIS IS A CUTTING EDGE PROGRAM

THAT ARIZONA HAS PROVIDED FOR

ITS RESIDENTS.

>> THIS IS THE LIZARD FIRE,

LIGHTNING SPARKED IT BACK ON

JUNE 7th, IT'S BURNED FOR MORE

THAN A WEEK, CHARRING MORE THAN

15,000 ACRES.

MORE THAN 600 MEN AND WOMEN FROM

SEVEN STATES INVOLVED IN THE

FIRE FIGHT.

HERE IS INCIDENT COMMANDER JOHN

PIERSON.

>> JOHN, THANKS FOR HAVING US

OUT HERE TO WILCOX HIGH SCHOOL.

WHY IS WILCOX CONSIDERED THE

BASE CAMP FOR THE LIZARD FIRE.

>> LOGISTICALLY IT WAS THE RIGHT

PLACE FOR US TO COME AND SET UP

INCIDENT COMMAND POST BECAUSE

THE AGENCIES THAT WE ARE WORKING

FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED US TO

BE ABLE TO ENGAGE REALLY QUICKLY

AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO DO

THAT WE UTILIZED FACILITIES LIKE

THIS WHERE IT'S A KIND OF A

KEYSTONE OPERATION WHERE YOU

JUST CAN OPEN THE DOOR AND START

DOING BUSINESS, LOGISTICALLY AND

ADMINISTRATIVELY AND SUPPORTING

THE OPERATIONAL FOLKS OUT ON THE

FIRE.

>> HOW FAR ARE WE FROM THE FIRE

LINE HERE?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT 18 MILES

OR 18-MINUTE DRIVE TO WHERE WE

INITIALLY STARTED WORKING ON

THIS FIRE.

YOU KNOW, WHICH WAS OVER BY

DRAGOON, THE COMMUNITY OF

DRAGOON, AND THEN MOST OF THE

ACTIVITY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE

DRAGOON MOUNTAINS, SO THIS WAS

THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR US TO

SUPPORT THAT OPERATION.

>> THIS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED THE

LARGEST WILDFIRE IN ARIZONA THIS

WEEK.

WHAT IS SO UNIQUE ABOUT IT?

>> YOU KNOW, SOUTHEASTERN

ARIZONA IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE

HOTTEST DRIEST PLACES IN OUR

GEOGRAPHIC AREA, BETWEEN NEW

MEXICO AND ARIZONA, SO, YOU

KNOW, THE FUEL CONDITIONS DOWN

HERE ARE VERY RECEPTIVE TO LARGE

FIRE GROWTH, SO THAT'S, YOU

KNOW, PRIMARILY WHY WE'RE HERE.

>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE

TERRAIN THAT WE'RE SEEING IN

THIS PARTICULAR AREA?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S TYPICALLY, YOU

KNOW, THE SOUTHEASTERN SKY

ISLANDS, DESERT SHRUB TYPE, VERY

FLASHY FUELS WHICH CREATES VERY

HIGH RATES OF SPREAD.

YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE

TEMPERATURES AND THE RELATIVE

HUMIDITIES HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY

CONDUCIVE TO FIRE, FIRE

BEHAVIOR.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ALL

ABOUT.

>> THIS FIRE HAS BURNED FOR MORE

THAN A WEEK NOW.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT IT THAT IS SO

HARD TO CONTAIN IT?

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN BURNING

IN REALLY STEEP RUGGED COUNTRY

AND OF COURSE WE DON'T WANT TO

ENGAGE OUR OPERATIONAL PEOPLE IN

PLACES WHERE WE CAN'T BE

SUCCESSFUL.

MORE SO TO THE FACT WE DON'T

WANT TO PUT PEOPLE WHERE WE

CAN'T GET THEM OUT IF THEY WERE

TO GET INJURED OR HURT OR

SERIOUSLY INJURED, WE NEED TO BE

OPERATING IN AN AREA WHERE WE

HAVE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF

SUCCESS, OF CONTAINING THE FIRE.

SO PRIMARILY THAT'S DOWN IN THE

LOW LANDS WHERE IT'S MORE

FLATTER TERRAIN AND WE CAN

UTILIZE MULTIPLE OPERATIONAL

ASSETS, BEING HEAVY HELICOPTERS

OR HOT SHOT CREWS, ENGINES,

DOZERS WHERE IT'S MORE CONDUCIVE

TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND

EFFECTIVE.

>> TELL ME ABOUT THE PEOPLE

FIGHTING THESE FLAMES BECAUSE

YOU HAVE PEOPLE REPRESENTING

MORE THAN AT LEAST SEVEN STATES.

>> YEAH, SEVEN STATES AND

PROBABLY, YOU KNOW -- SO WE ARE

LOOKING AT MULTIPLE RESOURCES

FROM HEAVY HELICOPTERS TO MEDIUM

HELICOPTERS TO LIGHT

HELICOPTERS, IN ADDITION WE HAD,

YOU KNOW, A FEW DAYS AGO WE HAD

THE VERY LARGE AIR TANKER AND

THEN WE HAD THE LARGE AIR

TANKERS AND THEN COMBINING THAT

WITH THE GROUND RESOURCES OF

DOZERS, ENGINES, HOT SHOT CREWS

AND TYPE 2 IE INCIDENT CREWS AND

MULTIPLE OVERHEAD RESOURCES.

>> FOR YOU AS AN INCIDENT

COMMANDER A LOT OF THE TIMES

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A FIRE

THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE OR

MEMORABLE.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS ONE?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT'S

UNIQUE ABOUT THIS IS THAT, YOU

KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH

MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS, YOU

KNOW, ARIZONA STATE FORESTRY,

PRIVATE LANDS, COCHISE COUNTY,

THE CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST AND

JUST THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE

BUILT OR HAVE BEEN BUILT

PREVIOUS TO US COMING HERE AND

US MAINTAINING THOSE.

IT'S BEEN A VERY COLLABORATIVE

PROCESS FOR US, VERY EASY

TRANSITION.

IT JUST MAKES THINGS WORK MORE

SMOOTHLY.

AND LASTLY I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE

THE PIERCE COCHISE DISTRICT.

THE CONTAIN AMOUNT Z OF LAST

NIGHT WAS 54% OR 15,000 ACRES.

THE PRIORITY AREAS FOR US ARE ON

THE SOUTHERN PRIMT ERR AROUND

THE COCHISE STRONG HOLD, WE HAVE

CREWS INSERTED THERE AND BY THE

END OF THE SHIFT WE FEEL PRETTY

GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO

BE AT BY THE END OF SHIFT.

WE ARE CONDUCTING SUPPRESSION

REHAB ON THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'VE

DISTURBED THE LANDSCAPE WITH

DOZERS OR OTHER APPARATUSES.

SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON THAT.

WE WILL BE RELEASING RESOURCES

TO BE COMMITTED TO OTHER

INCIDENTS WITHIN ARIZONA AND THE

REST OF THE COUNTRY AND SCALING

DOWN.

>>> FLURRY DROPS FROM AIRCRAFT

ARE KEY IN FIRE FIGHTS LIKE THIS

ONE BECAUSE OF THE RUGGED

TERRAIN.

MARK PATER WITH MORE ON AIR

OPERATIONS FOR THE LIZARD FIRE

>> ON THE LIZARD FIRE I'M ONE OF

TWO AIR OPERATIONS BRANCH

DIRECTORS AND WE HELP COORDINATE

THE AVIATION RESOURCES, THE

AIRCRAFT AND THE MISSIONS THAT

THOSE AIRCRAFT PERFORM EVERY DAY

IN COORDINATION WITH THE PEOPLE

ON THE GROUND.

>> WE TALK AIRCRAFT.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UTILIZING OUT

ON THIS FIRE?

>> WE HAVE A VARIETY OF

DIFFERENT TYPES OF AIRCRAFT.

FIRST WE HAVE A FIRE TRAFFIC

AREA ESTABLISHED OVER THE FIRE

WHERE ONLY FIRE AIRCRAFT CAN FLY

WITHIN IT, IT'S AN EIGHT

NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS CYLINDER.

WE HAVE AN AIR TECH THAT FLIES

HIGH ABOVE THE FIRE AND DIRECTS

THE AIRCRAFT LIKE VERY LARGE AIR

TANKERS, LARGE AIR TANKERS,

HELICOPTERS WHEN THEY COME IN TO

DROP RETARDANT OR WATER.

THE AIR ATTACK DIRECTS THEM AS

TO WHERE THEY NEED THE WATER OR

RETARDANT DROPPED.

>> HOW MANY HELICOPTERS, PLANES,

HAVE YOU HAD UP IN THE AIR?

HOW MUCH WATER ARE WE TALKING?

>> WITH THE VERY LARGE AIR

TANKER I BELIEVE THEY USED THAT

AIRCRAFT EARLY ON IN THE FIRE

AND THAT AIRCRAFT CAN DROP ABOUT

12,000 GALLONS OF RETARDANT AT

THAT TIME A TIME.

THEN WE HAVE LARGE AIR TANKERS

THAT RUN 2,000 TO 3,000 GALLONS

OF RETARDANT.

THEN THE LARGE HELICOPTERS WILL

DROP PRIMARILY WATER ON THIS

FIRE, ANYWHERE FROM 1,000 TO

2,000 GALLONS OF WATER AT A

TIME.

THE MEDIUM HELICOPTERS WILL

FOLLOW IN AND THEY WILL DROP

BETWEEN 300, MAYBE 400 GALLONS

OF WATER DEPENDING ON HOW HOT

AND HOW HIGH THEY HAVE TO FLY.

>> IS THERE A WATER RESOURCE OUT

HERE FOR YOU?

>> THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE.

WE HAD A HARD TIME, BUT LUCKILY

SOME OF THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL

PRODUCERS, FARMERS, ONE IN

PARTICULAR OVER ON AN EAST SIDE

PROVIDED HIS WELL AND WE WERE

ABLE TO FILL A 10,000 GALLON

PUMPKIN WHICH IS A LARGE

CONTAINER THAT HOLDS WATER AND A

SMALLER ONE FOR THE SMALLER

HELICOPTERS AND WATER TENDERS.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF COURSE

THERE IS THE RIVER, BUT THERE IS

A LANDOWNER THAT HAS SOME PONDS

OVER THERE AND WE HAVE AN

AGREEMENT WITH THAT PERSON TO

USE OUR LARGE AND MEDIUM

HELICOPTERS TO DRAW WATER OUT OF

THOSE PONDS.

>> FOR A LOT OF THE LOCALS DOWN

HERE PEOPLE SAW THE DCC-10,

GREAT PICTURES OF THAT, THAT WAS

EXCITING, IT ALSO MEANT YOU WERE

PULLING OUT THE BIG GUNS.

WAS THAT IMPORTANT FOR THIS

FIGHT?

>> I WOULD SAY YES.

EARLY ON THIS FIRE WAS MOVING

VERY RAPIDLY AND WHEN THAT FIRE

CAME DOWN OFF THE SLOPES AND

INTO THE FLATS WE SAW FIRE

BEHAVIOR THAT WAS A LITTLE MORE

OUT OF WHAT WE'RE USED TO SEEING

FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

THE VERY LARGE AIR TANKER WITH

BREAK THE LOAD UP INTO A SERIES

OF DROPS AND MORE STRATEGICALLY

PLACE THE RETARDANT ON THE

GROUND TO TRY TO SLOW THE SPREAD

OF THE FIRE.

THE IMPORTANT PART OF THAT IS

YOU CAN DROP ALL THE RETARDANT

YOU WANT BUT UNTIL YOU HAVE

PEOPLE ON THE GROUND TO BACK UP

THAT RETARDANT FIRE CAN BURN

THROUGH THAT AS IT DRIES OUT.

>> HOW POWERFUL IS THAT

RETARDANT?

RETARDANT?

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT THE USE IT

AND WHAT IT LOOKS AND FEELS

LIKE?

>> IT'S A RED, IT'S VERY SLICK.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE STANDING

THERE WHEN THEY'RE DROPPING

RETARDANT, IT CAN PICK UP ROCKS,

IT WILL DIG A SMALL TRENCH IN

THE GROUND, I'VE SEEN IT TAKE

TREES OUT OF THE GROUND, SMALL

TREES.

SO GENERALLY ACTUALLY ALWAYS WE

TELL OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO CLEAR

THE DROP ZONE, THEY HAVE TO BE

OUT OF THE AREA BEFORE THE

AIRCRAFT CAN DROP THE RETARDANT

ON THE GROUND.

THE SAME THING WITH THE WATER

BUCKETS.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S 2,000

GALLONS OF WATER OR 200 YOU DO

NOT WANT TO BE STANDING

UNDERNEATH THAT.

>> THE AIR ATTACK HAS BEEN A

SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS FIRE

FIGHT GETTING IT UNDER CONTROL.

WITHOUT IT HOW WOULD FIRES

CHANGE THESE DAYS?

>> WE WOULDN'T BE FLYING ANY

AIRCRAFT BECAUSE THE AIR ATTACK

IS THE PERSON THAT COORDINATES

THE DANCE.

THEY MAKE SURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT

COMING IN DON'T GET TOO

CONGESTED, THAT OUR FIRE TRAFFIC

AREA STAYS CLEAR AND THEY TALKED

DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE ON THE

GROUND IN THE VARIOUS DIVISIONS

AND SEE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, DO

THEY NEED HELICOPTERS, DO THEY

NEED AIR TANKERS AND THEN THEY

WILL MAKE THAT -- HELP THEM MAKE

THE PROPER DECISIONS AND DIRECT

THE AIRCRAFT INTO WHERE IT'S

TRULY NEEDED.

ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE'VE SEEN

OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS IS THE

USE OF DRONES.

BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A FIRE

TRAFFIC AREA IN EFFECT, THAT

FIRE TRAFFIC AREA IS RESTRICTED

ONLY TO FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT.

IF A DRONE WERE TO FLY INTO THAT

FIRE TRAFFIC AREA THEY'RE

TECHNICALLY BREAKING THE LAW AND

WE HAVE TO SHUT DOWN ALL OF OUR

AVIATION OPERATIONS, AIR ATTACK,

EVERYBODY GOES AWAY UNTIL WE CAN

ASSURE EVERYBODY THAT THAT DRONE

ISN'T IN THE FIRE TRAFFIC AREA.

>> THE CONVERSATION GOES AWAY

FROM THE SAFETY OF THIS TYPE OF

WORK, BUT FLYING OVER A FIRE IS

VERY DANGEROUS.

>> YES, IT IS.

I'D SAY ONE THING, THE WAY THE

WINDS BEHAVE OVER THE FIRE, WE

HAD STRONG WINDS EARLY ON WITH

THIS INCIDENT AND THE WINDS

COMING OVER THAT MOUNTAIN OUT OF

THE WEST UP HIGH AN AIRCRAFT

WILL GET BOUNCED AROUND QUITE A

BIT.

THE AIRCRAFT MAY NOT FEEL THAT

EFFECT THAT MUCH BUT THEY WILL

FEEL THOSE STRONG WINDS COMING

OUT OF THE WEST OR SOUTHWEST,

BUT THE HELICOPTERS COMING IN AT

A LOWER ALTITUDE THEY HAVE TO

DEAL WITH THAT SO SAFETY WISE WE

HAVE WIND LIMITS THAT THE

AIRCRAFT HAVE TO ABIDE BY.

THEY CAN FLY UNDER CERTAIN WIND

LIMITS, BUT WHEN THE WINDS GET

ABOVE A CERTAIN SPEED OR KNOTS

THEN WE HAVE TO SHUT THEM DOWN

AND WAIT.

WE SAW THAT ON THE SAWMILL FIRE,

THERE WAS A FULL DAY WE COULD

NOT FLY AIRCRAFT BECAUSE IT WAS

TOO WINDY.

NOT ONLY IS IT DANGEROUS FOR THE

PILOTS AND THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE

RETARDANT ISN'T EFFECTIVE,

EITHER.

>>> WILDFIRES HAVE CHARRED MORE

THAN 80 SQUARE MILES IN ARIZONA

THIS WEEK.

HERE IS A LOOK AT THE MAP WITH

SOME OF THE FIRES BURNING

STATEWIDE.

YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE FIGHT

HAPPENING IN VARIOUS PARTS OF

ARIZONA, FROM THE NORTH TO THE

SOUTH, THE EAST TO THE WEST, IT

SEEMS FIRES STARTING NEARLY

DAILY.

THESE PHOTOS TAKEN FROM

THROUGHOUT THE STATE, CREWS FROM

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IN ARIZONA,

AN EFFORT ON THE GROUND AND IN

THE AIR.

ACCORDING TO THE FOREST SERVICE

THE STATE IS CONSIDERED TO

ALWAYS BE IN FIRE SEASON.

WILDFIRES STARTED EARLIER THAN

NORMAL THIS YEAR, IN LATE APRIL

THE SAWMILL FIRE SOUTHEAST OF

TUCSON CONSUMED 47,000 ACRES AND

COST MORE THAN $7 MILLION TO

FIGHT.

AND THE WEATHER PLAYS A ROLE IN

THE FIRE FIGHT.

METEOROLOGISTS KEEPING A CLOSE

EYE ON WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS THE

HAINES INDEX.

THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY FIRE

CENTER SAYS THE STATE'S

POTENTIAL FOR FIRE IS HIGH.

HERE IS METEOROLOGIST JON BONK.

>> I'M HERE TO PROVIDE FIRST AND

FOREMOST FOR THE SAFETY OF THE

FIREFIGHTERS THE WEATHER IMPACTS

FIRE IN A PRETTY DRAMATIC WAY.

THE MAIN THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING

OUT FOR ARE HUMIDITY AND WIND.

THE IMPACTS OF HUMIDITY AND WIND

ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVERS OF FIRE

SPREAD.

SO I'M LOOKING OUT FOR EVENTS

THAT COULD CAUSE HAPPENED RATES

OF SPREAD OR WHAT WE CONSIDER

VERY DRAMATIC FIRE GROWTH.

>> ANYTHING UNIQUE ABOUT WHAT

YOU'VE SEEN IN WEATHER PATTERNS

DOWN IN HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA

THIS WEEK?

>> THE WINDS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE

BIT OF A CHALLENGE TO BEGIN

WITH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE

TERRAIN, HOW YOU HAVE YOUR BROAD

AREAS OF FLAT AND THEN THE

MOUNTAINS KIND OF POKING UP

THROUGH THE MIDDLE.

THE WINDS THAT ARE HITTING ONE

SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN MAY NOT

NECESSARILY EFFECT THE OTHER

SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SAME

WAY, THIS HE MAY BE STRONGER,

THEY MAY BE WEAKER, THEY MAY BE

COMING FROM COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

DIRECTIONS.

SO HAVING THOSE MOUNTAINS ACT AS

A LITTLE BARRIER TO THE WIND

FLOW IS CERTAINLY A CHALLENGE.

>> HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOU IN THIS

FIRE FIGHT?

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE JUST AS

CRITICAL AS THE BOOTS ON THE

GROUND.

>> THEY CONSIDER ME TO BE VERY

IMPORTANT.

I LIKE TO STAY PRETTY HUMBLE

ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY AS MOTHER

NATURE LIKE TO THROW WRINKLES

OUR WAY.

SO, AGAIN, I'M HERE FOR THE

FIREFIGHTER SAFETY AND THAT'S MY

GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY

ARE NOT SURPRISED BY ANY WEATHER

EVENT.

>> I KNOW YOU COME TO US FROM

PORTLAND, OREGON.

>> YES.

>> BUT HERE IN ARIZONA WE HAVE

THE MONSOON WHICH TECHNICALLY

LAUNCHES THIS WEEK.

DOES THAT COMPLICATE OR EXCITE

YOU AT ALL.

>> YOU CAN'T SAY THAT THE

MONSOON TECHNICALLY LAUNCHES, IT

COMMONLY WOULD START AROUND THIS

TIME OF YEAR, HOWEVER, THE

SEASON HAS BEEN DIFFERENT AND

WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT MAYBE A

WEEK OR TWO IF NOT LONGER BEFORE

WE GET THE TRUE MONSOON.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME

THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA EARLY

NEXT WEEK, HOWEVER, THESE ARE

GOING TO BE JUST MORE FORMED BY

REALLY HOT AIR AND SO WE'RE NOT

SEEING THE HEAVY, HEAVY RAINS

THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY GET WITH

A MONSOON.

>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW POWERFUL

LIGHTNING CAN BE WHEN IT MAKES

THAT STRIKE ON DRY GROUND.

>> IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.

TO GIVE AN IDEA SOME SCIENTISTS

HAVE ESTIMATED THAT THE

TEMPERATURE OF THE LIGHTNING IS

OVER 50,000 DEGREES, WHICH IS

CONSIDERED TO BE HOTTER THAN THE

SURFACE OF THE SUN.

THE MAIN IMPACT IS TO JUST

IMMEDIATELY IGNITE WHATEVER IT

STRIKES AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS

IF YOUR FUELS ARE DRY ENOUGH, IF

IT'S REALLY DRY LIKE IT IS RIGHT

NOW, THEN ANY LIGHTNING CAN

START ANY FIRE AND IT'S REALLY

BEST FOR PEOPLE TO PROVIDE

PROTECTION AROUND THEIR HOMES TO

GIVE THE FIREFIGHTERS A CHANCE

TO DEFEND THEM.

>> ANYTHING ABOUT ARIZONA'S DRY

WEATHER PATTERN THAT MAKES YOU

CONCERNED AS A METEOROLOGIST WHO

WATCHES OUT FOR FIREFIGHTER

SAFETY?

>> IT'S GOING TO BE HOT AND DRY

AND CONDITIONS ARE SUCH THAT IF

SOMEBODY PUTS A SPARK ON THE

GROUND, SOMEBODY PUTS FIRE ON

THE GROUND THERE'S GOING TO BE

WIND EVERY DAY AND WITH ALL THE

GRASSES THAT YOU HAVE AROUND,

ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE HAD A WET

WINTER WHICH HAS NOT REALLY BEEN

THE CASE THE LAST FEW MONTHS,

YOU CAN GET PRETTY RAPID FIRE

SPREAD BECAUSE THE WIND CAN

REALLY PUSH THE FIRE THROUGH

THAT GRASS.

>> THIS IS AN IMPORTANT WEEK FOR

ARIZONA.

THE DRY CONDITIONS, THE CLIMBING

TEMPERATURES AND WE HEAD INTO

THE MONSOON, WHICH BRINGS

THUNDERSTORMS.

HERE IS KEN DROZD FROM THE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN

TUCSON.

>> THE MONSOON USUALLY TAKES

HOLD IN THE LAST WEEK IN JUNE OR

FIRST WEEK IN JULY.

THAT'S WHEN WE GET THE MOISTURE

HERE.

THE MONSOON OFFICIALLY BEGINS

THE SEASON ON JUNE 15th AND WE

START SEEING THE EARLY

INDICATIONS OF THAT TREND TOWARD

BRINGING THAT MOISTURE UP INTO

OUR AREA.

>> WE HAVE SEEN SOME MOISTURE

ALREADY, ESPECIALLY IN

SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA.

IS THAT UNUSUAL?

>> NOT AT ALL.

WE TEND TO GET LITTLE BURSTS OF

MOISTURE AS WE'RE TRANSITIONING

FROM THE JUNE PATTERN INTO THE

JULY PATTERN, WHICH IS MUCH

WETTER.

SO WE MAY HAVE A DAY OR TWO

WHERE WE GET MOISTURE UP HERE,

WHICH AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IT'S

USUALLY NOT VERY DEEP.

SO IT RESULTS IN SOME

THUNDERSTORMS, NOT NECESSARILY A

LOT OF RAINFALL, BUT A LOT OF

LIGHTNING STRIKES AND THIS YEAR

WITH THE FUEL CONDITIONS THAT WE

HAD PRESENT A LOT OF TALLER DRY

GRASS AND OTHER DRY FUELS.

WE HAD THOSE LIGHTNING STARTS

THAT STARTED ALL THESE

WILDFIRES.

>> IF WE CAN REMIND PEOPLE ABOUT

THE MONSOON BECAUSE THERE IS A

LOT OF CONFUSION SURROUNDING IT.

IT'S NOT RAINSTORMS IT INVOLVES

A PATTERN OR SYSTEM.

>> RIGHT, IT'S AN ACTUAL SEASON

THAT TAKES HOLD JUST AS IN THE

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE AS THE WHOLE

ATMOSPHERIC PATTERNS CHANGE IN

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, THE JET

STREAM RETREATS NORTHWARD,

FURTHER INTO CANADA AND HIGH

PRESSURE BUILDS OVER US BRINGING

US USUALLY HEARD OF EXTREME HEAT

BEFORE THAT KIND OF SHIFTS

NORTHWARD AND ALLOWS OUR

PREVAILING FLOW TO BE MORE

EASTERLY OR SOUTHEASTERLY.

>> I READ RECENTLY THERE WAS A

NEW REPORT THAT CAME OUT FROM

SOME CLIMATE STUDY THAT SAID

THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO SEE WETTER

AND THEN DRYER CONDITIONS.

WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN FOR

THE REMAINDER OF THE NEXT, I

THINK, NEXT TEN YEARS, MAYBE

NEXT 20 YEARS?

>> WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FAIRLY

DECENT MONSOON SEASONS HERE IN

THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS AND

SO, I MEAN, EVERY SEASON IS

DIFFERENT, WITH HE WOULD EXPECT

EVENTUALLY TO KIND OF EVEN OUT

WHERE WE HAVE SOME WETTER AND

SOME DRYER SO WE ARE GOING TO

SEE A FLUCTUATION FROM SEASON TO

SEASON CERTAINLY.

>> IS THERE A CHANGE THAT'S

HAPPENING OVERALL WITH THE

CLIMATE, THE SHIFT, GLOBAL

WARMING?

I MEAN, WHERE IS THAT DISCUSSION

RIGHT NOW?

>> WE'VE SEEN CERTAINLY WARMER

TEMPERATURES, PARTICULARLY

NIGHTTIME LOWS, ALSO SOME HIGHER

TEMPERATURES OR A LONGER PERIOD

OF HIGHER TEMPERATURES.

I THINK THE RESULTS OF THAT ARE

A LITTLE BIT UP IN THE AIR.

WE'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD HIGHER

TEMPERATURES WE HAVE ALSO HAD

THEN MORE MOISTURE COME UP HERE,

WE HAVE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE

RAIN THAN NORMAL THOUGH WE ARE

STILL TALKING ABOUT SMALL

AMOUNTS, WE ARE IN THE SOUTHWEST

SO THOSE TOTALS ARE NOT TERRIBLY

LARGE.

>> WHAT ARE THE TOTALS ON

AVERAGE HERE IN ARIZONA?

I KNOW IT DEPENDS ON WHAT

GEOGRAPHIC AREA YOU ARE AT.

>> RIGHT.

IN THE TUCSON AREA YOU'RE KIND

OF LOOKING AROUND THE 5 TO 6

INCHES.

DURING THE MONSOON, WHICH

ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT HALF OF WHAT

YOU GET DURING THE WHOLE YEAR.

OF COURSE, THE -- AS YOU GET A

LITTLE BIT FARTHER WEST AND

NORTH THE AMOUNTS GO DOWN, THEY

ARE LOWER.

OF COURSE, THE MOUNTAINS TEND TO

GET A LOT MORE THAN THAT AS

WELL, TWO TO THREE TIMES AS MUCH

DURING THE MONSOON.

>> ONE OF THE HATS YOU WEAR AT

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS

WEATHER PREPAREDNESS.

WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW AS

FAR AS LAUNCHING INTO THE SUMMER

SEASON HERE WHERE WE HAVE MORE

RAINFALL?

>> FIRST OF ALL, THE HEAT IS

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND CAN BE

VERY DEADLY.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE HEED WHEN

IT'S VERY HOT OUTSIDE, TRY TO

CONDUCT OUR ACTIVITIES IN AS

EARLY IN THE MORNING AS POSSIBLE

AND STAY OUT OF THE HEAT OF THE

DAY IF POSSIBLE OBVIOUSLY.

AND THEN AS WE GET INTO

THUNDERSTORMS, LIGHTNING IS A

VERY BIG HAZARD HERE IN SOUTHERN

ARIZONA, WE GET A LOT OF

LIGHTNING STRIKES DURING THE

MONSOON TIME OF YEAR.

SO IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THAT

MEANS LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH

TO STRIKE YOUR POSITION.

WHEN THUNDER ROARS GO INDOORS.

>> REGARDING THE LIGHTNING AND

WILDFIRES DOES THE MONSOON HELP,

DOES IT HURT OR HAMPER EFFORTS

AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE SEEING

ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IN THE

STATE?

>> RIGHT.

IT DOES KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF

BOTH.

AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE MONSOON

WE MAY HAVE MORE MOISTURE COME

IN HERE BUT, AGAIN, MAYBE NOT

GREAT AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE BUT

ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY SPARK MORE

THUNDERSTORMS WHICH COULD

EXACERBATE FIRE CONDITIONS, ALSO

PRODUCE SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS

THAT WOULD REALLY ENDANGER

FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL.

EVENTUALLY WE GET ENOUGH

MOISTURE IN TO WHERE HUMIDITY

STAYS AT HIGHER LEVELS AND THEN

THAT DOES EVENTUALLY HELP

FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS.

>> BEFORE WE GO A WEATHER

PHENOMENON TO SHARE WITH YOU, A

PHOTO TAKEN LAST WEEK NEAR THE

TOWN OF HER FORD JUST OUTSIDE OF

SIERRA VISTA, A LAND SPOUT

TORNADO.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

SAYS THE CAUSE IS A DUST DEVIL

DRAWN BY THE CLOUD BASE WHICH

FORMED A CONNECTION FROM THE

GROUND TO A CLOUD.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

SAYS THIS IS A FIRST FOR THE

SEASON.

>>> FOR ALL OF US AT ARIZONA

PUBLIC MEDIA, I'M LORRAINE

RIVERA.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.