Willow Fire Update

There is an 85,000 acre wildfire burning south of my parents' home. The winds have been favorable recently, and the fire is burning south and east, away from the towns of Payson, Pine and Strawberry. However, if the winds shift, only a tiny perennial creek and a lot of dry brush stand between the fire and my parents' house. The 10-day forecast looks dry. Needless to say, my parents are a little freaked out.

Even if the fire doesn't progress another inch, much of the Mazatzal Wilderness has been torched. Several years ago I spent a week backpacking through the Mazatzals. It's a rugged, amazing place. Travelling through the Mazatzals makes you respect the courage and fortitude of the ranchers who settled the area, not to mention the Apache who have lived there for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Fire updates are available at http://www.fireteam-sw.com/whitney/willow/