The fire area went under a Red Flag at 1PM MDT, that continues until 8PM for high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds. The eastern edge of the fire is at the border with New Mexico which is preparing for the worst.

Another burst of activity, and the Wallow Fire will surpass the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Complex which burned 468,500 acres [732 miles² 1896 km²] and is currently ranked as the worst fire in Arizona history.

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, Arizona
• Size: 430,171 acres [672 miles² 1741 km²] based on infrared data
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 3,208 including 20 hotshot crews and 45 hand crews
• Equipment: 17 dozers, 221 engines, 66 watertenders
• Aircraft: 14 helicopters, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 5%
• Injuries to Date: 6
• Residences: 2,714 threatened; 29 destroyed; 5 damaged
• Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
• Outbuildings: 34 destroyed; 1 damaged
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3

The fire is 5% contained, with containment lines established on the northeast side of the fire. Improved weather conditions allowed for successful burnout operations along the 273 road near Greer, in Water Canyon south of Eager, and northeast of Alpine. Today’s activities include structure protection, continued burnout and mop-up operations to strengthen containment lines, and patrol for spot fires. Burnout operations will continue into New Mexico east of Luna along Highway 220. Burnout operations may be affected by a Red Flag warning that has been issued for today from 1 pm to 8 pm for gusty south-southwest winds 15-25 mph, low relative humidity, and unstable air mass over the fire.

[For the latest information click on the Fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

Position: 15.8N 113.9W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Wind Gusts: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb ↑.

Currently about 555 miles [895 km] South-Southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Adrian has reached its sell-by date and is melting into the Pacific. It moved over the cooler waters and is losing the “fuel” needed to sustain itself as a tropical storm. If it can maintain some organization and finally turns back towards the coast it might regenerate, but it will probably fade to a remnant low.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]