While the fire has expanded into New Mexico, that is generally the result of intentional backfires to deprive the wildfire of fuel. There are now some areas that have been cleared for access by residents, but the air quality is so bad due to the smoke, people return “at their own risk” and it is recommended that they don’t stay for an extended period, especially if they have any respiratory problems.

Information from the current Wallow Fire InciWeb Page

• Date Started: 5/29/2011
• Location: Apache, Navajo, Graham, and Greenlee Counties, San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Reservations, Arizona; Catron County, New Mexico
• Cause: Human – under investigation
• Size: 452,155 acres [706 miles² 1830 km²] based on infrared data
• Number of Personnel: Approximately 4,349 including 23 hotshot crews and 78 hand crews
• Equipment: 22 dozers, 347 engines, 70 watertenders
• Aircraft: 20 helicopters, 5 air tankers, DC-10
• Percent Contained: 10%
• Injuries to Date: 7
• Residences: 2,714 threatened; 31 destroyed; 5 damaged
• Commercial Property: 473 threatened; 4 destroyed
• Outbuildings: 1,216 threatened; 36 destroyed; 1 damaged
• Other: 1 truck destroyed
• Incident Commander: Jim Loach, Area Command Team 3

[Read more →]

It’s hot and the news is boring today.

The BBC reports that Hezbollah dominates new cabinet of PM Mikati in Lebanon. Oh, my, the political party that represents the largest ethnic group in Lebanon has a major role in the new government. [/snark]

I doubt it was discussed at the Republicant “debate” in New Hampshire. Per usual with the major parties, a group of white guys, with a woman and black guy included to proved “they are diverse”. It’s probably a media requirement. No doubt they attempted to prove that they were going to fix everything by cutting taxes and making government smaller. It is amazing how the taxes seem to get cut, but the government expands when there is a Republicant in the White House. Of course, the deficit soars under Republicant Presidents and Wall Street loses money, but they have their sound bites down.

Reuters reports that the Missouri River levee near Hamburg, Iowa fails. The river washed away about three hundred feet of the levee just north of the Missouri – Iowa border and more rain is predicted for the Missouri watershed. It is going to be a soggy summer.

Speaking of Republicants who might run for President, CNN has a piece on Governor Goodhair, Rick Perry: Texas governor’s modest Christian giving raises eyebrows. The fundies are not going to understand how someone can only give $90 to their home church in several years, when they are making around a million dollars a year. Apparently no one has told Perry that you don’t report any donations on your tax returns, so that if your giving is questioned you can say it was anonymous and you don’t discuss money and religion. If you are going to put it on your tax returns, you had better tithe if you are a “Christian” politician. Ninety bucks isn’t modest, it’s miserly.

Oh, yes, Zero said that if he were Weiner, he would resign. Yeah, right, like passing “naughty notes” is worse that shredding the Constitution.