by marykmusic » Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:33 pm
...are still pissed at the heavy-handedness of the out-of-state Feds who came into the Northeast Arizona mountains when the Rodeo fire happened in the summer of '02 (and the first large-scale evacuation on US soil, of 15,000 people.) I heard all kinds of stories from the locals about being threatened with arrest for doing their job of trying to save buildings. The small volunteer force from Clay Springs lost their own building while they were defying orders and saving people's homes, for example.<br><br>Many folks, and of course I'm one, put several strange discrepancies together involving the "official" story. We believe it was an op, to see how people responded to evacuation and to martial law... <br><br>1) There was a fire a week before, south of Show Low on the Fort Apache reservation, that was put out quickly by volunteers from Show Low and Linden (they were closer than the Fort Apache Hot Shots.)<br><br>2) When what was to become the Rodeo fire started at the rodeo grounds near Cibecue (on the rez well south of Show Low), the above-mentioned departments immediately responded, but didn't get very far before they were ordered back. By the next day (with a years-long drought and 40 mph steady winds), Linden was evacuated with 1 hour's notice.<br><br>3) The Forest Service immediately took charge. They removed all the local firefighters from the front lines (of course, most defiantly did what they had to do anyway.)<br><br>4) Police from all over the state came in to "protect" people's property while they were gone. Anyone who opted to stay, was not allowed to leave AT ALL.<br><br>5) These same cops, plus the Forest Service police, arrested anyone they found in the fire area. This included firefighters. However, guess who knew all the local jeep roads and 4-wheeler trails? Even the state Brand Inspector, pulling a stock trailer and going after whatever horses and livestock he could save, had a hard time doing his job (and he's essentially law enforcement, as well!)<br><br>6) Someone was turned in for starting the fire, and his family collected the substantial reward. It was an Apache man who worked part-time as a firefighter, and who had an alcohol problem. BUT he was declared unfit to stand trial, and nothing more has been heard of him, from whatever mental institution he was sent to... he is most likely in a drug haze these days.<br><br>7) The Red Cross and FEMA were there, and the money they were handing out in the early days of the disaster, simply dried up and many people were left in dire need.<br><br>After it was all over and people put their heads together, there remained these unanswered questions. Folks are still pissed...<br><br>This was multiplied many times over in the current disasters. --MaryK <p></p><i></i>