For more information about this case, check out:

Truesnow.org
Savethepeaks.org
and my article on the issue in ASU’s Sustainability Review

We’re entering day 4 of this massive 14,000 acre fire. It might be another two weeks before it’s fully contained. Thanks to Charlie McCallie for this beautiful time-lapse video.

Today, finally, all of Flagstaff wants the Peaks saved.

This is the Taylor Fire, burning 22 miles or so, southeast of Flagstaff. For two days, now, we’ve had these strange (fake) sunsets. It is supposed to be monsoon season, not fire season. Weird shit!

The fire was reported in the morning on the 16th. Here is the Forest Service’s “fact sheet”

On Friday, as I was hauling The Noise bike trailer downtown to deliver February to the masses, I sort of witnessed an accident. On south San Francisco Street at the top of the hill heading north, just before the road curves and heads up to campus, I heard a crash. A screech and then what sounded like an aquarium and a television set hitting the pavement from four stories up.

When I proceeded down the hill, I saw that somebody in a small gray sedan, presumably heading up the hill, hopped the sidewalk and slammed into a light pole. The pole was leaning at a 45 degree angle and the light was smashed on the ground below. Pieces of the car where scattered 50-100 feet in front of the car. In other words, he hit the pole really hard. A friend of mine from across the street heard the accident coming down the hill going south and two other people heard it from the urban trail and ran over. We all got there more or less at the same time.

I knocked on the tinted window and saw a man rocking back and forth. I opened the door and saw that his airbag had deployed but perhaps not in time. There was a huge smash in the windshield and a bloody gash on his head. He was awake and mumbling, but I couldn’t understand him. I assured him that help was on the way. We all talked to him and kept him awake. He was really drunk.

The cops came, then an ambulance, then more cops. We were all told to stick around and give statements. You can still drive by and see the bent pole sticking out of the ground. Scary shit.

See, I’m not just complaining about nothing (see last post). It looks like the city will close the exits off 17 on the west side and let east flag deal with the masses. The roads over there are better equipped anyway.

Responding to Saturday’s traffic jams in the city and on Highway 180, Flagstaff police will suggest a second city route for tourists visiting this weekend.

Here is a map

On another snow-related topic, I was delivering papers yesterday and many businesses were talking about collapsing roofs. All day I saw people shoveling the snow off the top of buildings. Hastings roof collapsed. Does this mean discounted DVDs?

This has got me worried about my own roof – but my neighbors don’t seem concerned. At least nobody is out there on a ladder. It seems like a silly way to get really hurt.