OT. Loss of firefighters in AZ.

Our heart felt prayers go out to any of you guys in and around Prescott on the loss of 19 firefighters. Loss of life is so quick sometime.

I agree and my heart goes out to the families of those who gave their lives. The changeable wind and canyon country can be impossible to read and deadly to fight fire in. As a former Flagstaff resident, I have seen, and hiked the areas. Beauty is attractive to residents but fire is a never ending element in those forests. Jim

This is most unfortunate and tragic. Terrible loss to the families and community.

KEH

Not a good year for first responders.

First the West, Tx. disaster and now this.

Really feel for those folks. They give so much and now have lost their lives. Everyone of them has left family behind.

tragic to say the least-- sure they will find all kinds of blame- but after 52 yrs in the fire service we have found out the only way to prevent this is to cut and burn the dead and diseased treas or chip them to be used as mulch - if they would let the woodsmen go in and cut the trees for free they could get rid of the prob-- and if done every year around homes and camp sites it would take time but would work in the end-- i know i am going to hear from tree huggers and epa people but these burns are putting as much in the air as heating with wood would do this needs to get to the right ears my opinion only-- lets hear from all the farmers- for answers to the prob.

Horrible loss of life to say the least, but as the old sayin goes you play with fire you might get burned.

The European "managed forest" practice tries to keep much of potential fuel out of the forest is soon as practical- meaning controled selective cutting and allowing "gleaning" of damaged wood by individuals looking for firewood and building material. Couple years back the Spanish had many small fires during the drought, but few large fires since the endanged woods had only a years accumulation for fuel with few exceptions-- and the exceptions were where the local "greens" had stopped the old practice of pruning dead branches and allowing the open "gleaning" in the "public" forests. US practice for past many years has been the Green practice of no timber cutting, no salvage cutting of damaged wood, no getting slash cuts allowed to be used by campers or nearby residents for home use. Got to let nature take care of the molding and recycling- and Momma Nature says time to burn the trash, toss in a match -(or lightning bolt) so can let bristlcone pines reseed. Mexican practice in Baja area was let small fires burn, don"t build in the area just graze cattle and goats. US practice was build a suburb, don"t let in grazing critters, don"t chop down trees and clear the privacy screens- but can"t water in drought because of water shortage so dead brush piles up and when it catches fire need to stomp it out so expensive house don"t burn. This works awhile- but when conditions are right for a flash fire the houses get burned, some people die and the disaster cost hits over million in block of houses. Meantime the Mexicans with the annual small fire move the cattle out and let it burn to the plowed fire break, save money and next year the burned small patch gets disked and planted in corn and beans for couple years, then back to graze. Saves a lot of money, loss of life and slow cows (and maybe Mary Jane patch)about only thing in danger of being burned. RN

Respect for those who gave their all. Condolences to the family and friends of those brothers we lost yesterday. RIP

We cannot send enough prayers to them and families. They, along with police and military are true heroes.

NBC is interviewing one of the widows now. CBS is scrambling to find family members to put in front of the camera.

The hurt is obvious. The job is dangerous. We don't need this kind of "reporting".

I was watching the reports last night... The whole thing is sad from start to finish. What's really sad is that the talking heads are pontificating on why a tinfoil bag didn't protect these guys from 1000 degrees plus.... when what they should be asking is why in hell an IC sent them in there in the first place.

Rod