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Crews Fight to Save Ariz. Homes From Fire

Posted on: Friday, 20 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

Firefighters moved across a mountainous landscape dotted with charred foundations to dig lines Friday around houses spared by the initial rampage of a wildfire that destroyed about 250 homes.

Firefighters also planned to dig lines in other areas near the devastated vacation hamlet of Summerhaven to protect other homes, camp sites and a line of radio towers.

Driven by winds up to 60 mph, the Aspen fire roared across Mount Lemmon in less than an hour Thursday, reducing some homes to smoking rubble while leaving others untouched.

Heavy smoke hid the community from observers flying overhead Friday, parting occasionally to reveal a moonscape of blackened trees stripped of their branches by the flames. A cul de sac with homes burned to the foundation was visible from above.

Evacuees and owners of second homes in Summerhaven waited 6,000 feet below in Tucson to learn the fate of their community.

Richard Greenberg, who has had a vacation home on Mount Lemmon for 18 years, said he was at the firefighters' headquarters at a school at the foot of the mountain "to grasp for straws."

"It's probably better just to imagine it's gone," said Greenberg. "I'm pretty sure it's gone."

Fire officials said their efforts Friday focused on protecting what was left in the town as well as defending outlying homes.

Firefighters were laying water lines and digging lines around homes in Summerhaven, which has an estimated 700 homes and cabins and a handful of businesses.

Firefighters were also digging a line to protect about 40 homes in an area southeast of Summerhaven called Syke Knob, said fire spokeswoman Heidi Schewel.

They were working on a line to protect camp sites and other scattered homes further down the mountain and another to shield a series of transmitter towers, she said.

Firefighters expected to be hindered by the weather, with forecasts calling for wind gusts of up to 35 mph and continued dry conditions.

The fire started Tuesday and forced the evacuation of Summerhaven, a community of 100 year-round residents.

The community's population swells during weekends and summers as visitors drive the sole paved road winding its way up the 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon to escape the desert heat.

The cause was under investigation.

Firefighters had hoped to protect the homes by making a stand along a trail about a mile away, but had to pull back when the intense blaze crossed the path. It eventually spread across about 3,200 acres.

The blaze consumed pine trees ravaged by years of drought and an infestation of tree-killing bark beetles. It is one of several wildfires in Arizona, where fire officials are braced for another busy year after seeing 630,000 acres burned in 2002.

Brian Ashby, who has owned property on the mountain for 25 years, said he can envision a rebirth for Summerhaven.

"It's a resilient bunch," said Ashby. "We'll bounce back."

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On the Net:

National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov/

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