Amateurs Support of Arizona Wildfire Response Continues; ARES Stands Down in Colorado
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 25, 2002--Amateur Radio support of the Arizona wildfire response is continuing. Arizona ARRL Section Manager Cliff Hauser, KD6XH, reports that there are enough Amateur Radio operators on hand to support the fire-fighting efforts. President Bush has declared parts of the state federal disaster areas. The combined Rodeo-Chediski Fire now has scorched more than 351,000 acres of Arizona pine forest. Upwards of 400 homes and businesses have been destroyed, and some 30,000 Arizona residents have been evacuated as a result of the fire.
The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has taken on the job of coordinating communications during the emergency and has set up stations at Mesa, Winslow and Eager. Hauser said The Salvation Army was taking more workers from the Phoenix area to the fire-fighting support areas. Other amateurs are supporting Red Cross facilities in Flagstaff, Holbrook and Phoenix. Operators from the Arizona Amateur Radio Club's W7IO are staffing the Arizona Emergency Operations Center in Phoenix.
Hauser reports that Dave Epley, N9CZV, remains in the now mostly evacuated town of Show Low, where the fire was about one-half mile away earlier today. According to news reports, firefighters were starting backfires in the Show Low vicinity in an effort to stave off disaster. Eply has been handling health-and-welfare traffic for town residents who chose not to leave. Epley has requested that users not attempt to connect with his N9CZV IRLP node 336 in Show Low. It is being used for the fire emergency.
To keep nets active around the clock, net control station duties are being passed among stations in Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson. In addition to VHF and UHF repeaters, amateurs are maintaining HF nets on 3990 and 7265 kHz. An FCC communications emergency has put both frequencies, plus or minus 3 kHz, off limits to anyone not involved in handling emergency traffic. The ban will remain in effect until lifted.
Meanwhile in Colorado, Amateur Radio Emergency Service support for the Hayman Fire has concluded. Several Colorado ARES teams spent the past few weeks volunteering their services as needed to local governments and to relief organizations, including the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
As recently as Monday, amateurs continued their support on the south side of the fire. ARRL Colorado SM Jeff Ryan, K0RM, reports the Hayman Fire is currently 67% contained, and most evacuated residents were allowed back to their homes Sunday.
Page last modified: 08:22 AM, 28 Jun 2002 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2002, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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