Kudos to SEFD
On the afternoon of June 9, the Windmill Fire was accidentally started in Tunnel Springs Ranch Association. The Sonoita Elgin Fire Department was quickly summoned as the fire spread rapidly to adjoining properties and on to Forest Service lands.
Battalion Commander Mark Bennett coordinated with several responding agencies (Sheriffs, Patagonia Volunteer Fire, Forest Service, Nogales Fire, and AZ State Lands) and wasted no time to request air tanker support for suppression.
Watching the air tankers circle and survey the fire – today’s version of the cavalry –was a welcome air show. SEFD and Forest Service crews remained overnight. There was a wind-driven flare-up 4 days later on June 13th to which SEFD again responded.
With BC Bennett’s quick assessment of the Windmill Fire, the SEFD and supporting agencies kept the homes and outbuildings in that area of Tunnel Springs Ranch safe. With
the 2-year anniversary this week of the Los Encino Fire’s fury (damage still visible in Tunnel Springs Ranch and elsewhere), I am again very thankful for the Chief DeWolf and the professionals in the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District.
Karla Cafarelli
Sonoita
Errors and Omissions
In the article in the Jun/July issue on Rosemont’s mitigation plan, the gallons of water to be used by the mine per year were incorrectly reported as 182 billion gallons. The correct figure is 1.9 billion gallons, or 5,345,000 gallons per day.
In Vince Pinto’s article, it was incorrectly edited to read “ 29 bat species have been recorded in Arizona in addition to 46 rodent species, the highest numbers worldwide for these two mammal orders.” Pinto wrote that his “original statement clearly connotes that in the majority of localities on Earth both bats and rodents will have the most species of any mammal orders. This in no way implies that Arizona has the most bats or rodents.”
Our apologies for these errors.