To the jerk arguing with the cop...yes that road is indeed closed.

[Lovecats]

Last time I checked, it was over 77% contained and there were still a few remote communities that still couldn't go home.

Your daughter et all probably weren't in actual danger from the Goodwin fire, but the smoke must have been pretty bad.

My home is south of the fire and I didn't have any smoke at home. Work is north of the fire and it was OMG! I heard (gossip, not verified) that the 69 by the Sam's Club was so smoky that everyone had to slow down to 10 mph or under.

The fire would have had to burn through Prescott Valley to get to Prescott...or get turned around the mountain and burn up from the other side to get to your kids.

She did say the smoke was pretty bad. Her husband posted a picture of the plume of smoke over the mtns.

[Slave to the Phone]

Well, dang. While I was looking up the latest containment numbers for Lovecats, the single wide trailer across the street went up in flames. Containment is at 90% now and we are no longer in an official state of emergency, btw.

The wheelchair bound and rather rotund husband was dragged out by neighbors and then one neighbor went back into the thick smoke and heard the wife calling for help and dragged her out. The one who went back in is my BFF and is a total idiot. Nobody goes into a trailer fire because they go up so fast and the smoke is so toxic. From the start of the fire to the end was less than an hour, but the fire folks are going to be mopping up for a while. Sadly, their very rotund wiener dog didn't make it.

So, what does Slave do once she knows that the people are safe? She turns into parking police because all the neighbors came to look. GET OUT OF THE ROAD!!! GO PARK IN THAT DRIVE WAY OR THAT ONE BUT GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE FIRE TRUCKS!!!

One jerk not only refused to move his rather large pick-up into our driveway, he pulled up closer so he could take pictures. This is AZ, so I used my gun owner's trump card. I didn't display anything, but my sweetie is an advocate of open carry. As soon as I called my sweetie over, the jerk suddenly managed to find a spot out of the way of the emergency vehicles without even being told to do so again.

Why won't some people understand that fire is bad, blocking emergency vehicles from responding is even worse.

[Kit-Ginevra]

"if it doesn't try to stick you, sting you or bite you, its not native to AZ"

...and that's just the Arizona girls :P

[drunkenwildmage]

So... Australia lite?

Question asked in my gaming group: What Animal in Australia won't kill you?

The response: " Well, I think some of the sheep might be safe"

[dalesys]

...The response: " Well, I think some of the sheep might be safe"

But you'll be totally shamed at the bar when the curly headed blond comes in and bleats, "Da-aa-aa-dy?"

[Cia]

Well, dang. While I was looking up the latest containment numbers for Lovecats, the single wide trailer across the street went up in flames. Containment is at 90% now and we are no longer in an official state of emergency, btw.

Sadly, their very rotund wiener dog didn't make it.

Poor pup

[Slave to the Phone]

I am also sorry for the old, fat dog. The thing I take comfort in is knowing that pup died quickly and didn't burn to death. The toxic fumes of the trailer killed him first.

I think the thing that haunts me most about this tragedy is that the woman was dragged out with no shoes, and then lost everything. Homeless and shoeless. Shoeless. that just hurts my heart most of all.

Due to the fact that even though I am able to drop my cane and run when properly motivated, I was also reminded that just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should do it.

I'm not quite sure if my motivation to run towards the fire was to help the people in the fire, or to run into the flaming trailer to grab my BFF, pull him out and then throttle him for scaring me so badly. The good part is that I learned that I can still run.

[M'oh Less]

I know too well about trailer fires. They are fast. They are scary. I'm amazed anyone got in. When it happened to me, the second I opened the door I was singed and blown off the porch. I'm so sorry for that family, I understand all too well.

[notalwaysright]

Oh, yeah some distant friends had their mobile home burn to the ground a few years ago. It did burn quick, even though it's small and only a few steps to the door, they literally only had time to run outside, that's all. Their dogs lived!

Wanna hear something icky? The insurance company tried to (somehow??) blame the couple's Down Syndrome daughter. Too bad, so sad, an investigation proved it was a faulty furnace and they got enough to buy a brand new house. I think they got a modular house? It seemed way nicer than most mobile homes.

[Slave to the Phone]

I sometimes don't remember how long or how fast things happen, so I took pocket pics for the time stamp. From the time I first saw the flames coming out the kitchen windows until the entire trailer was engulfed was 4 minutes and 17 seconds. That's how fast everything happened.

Now that news has spread around, I have learned that they were long time renters to one of the best, most hands-on landlord I have ever met. He checks his properties landscaping and weed control on a monthly basis and talks to his renters and asks about problems at that time. He also is very responsive when one of his renters calls at night with a plumbing problem.

Long way of saying that they were renting a well maintained, but old and single wide trailer for at least 8 years (which is the first time I was aware of them).

They haven't been back, both of their vehicles are still there. 1 is badly fire damaged, but I have seen the other one move in recent history. (which means a couple of weeks).

The fire damaged one had their mobility scooter on the back. It was also so old that my sweetie, who used to be in the business told me that it was a total just from a visual inspection.

I am really praying that they are OK, but are not wanting to see the mess. I am praying even more that they had renter's insurance. So many people don't, and even if they had comp on their primary vehicle, it probably wouldn't pay out because the damage came from the fire. Renter's insurance would cover vehicle damage and their personal possessions.

Looking out the window at the trailer, I am kinda doubting that they are going to get their deposit back.

[Nunavut Pants]

As a serial owner of old cars, I can tell you that with many cars just a broken bumper cover can mean a total loss. A number of early-90s vehicles fall into this category, as they are old and "not worth" much while the bumper and labor are moderately expensive...

[Slave to the Phone]

Oh, its not just the bumper that's damaged, the windshield is all kinds of cracked and the paint is blistered to the front doors. According to my sweetie who used to be in the auto repair business, even if that was a new vehicle, it would probably total.

The undamaged vehicle can't be driven yet because they were dragged out of the fire with the clothes on their backs. Keys were left. They didn't have renters insurance and its a newer vehicle.

According to my sweetie, this is because a locksmith can only make a key that will open the doors, the car will still have to be towed to a dealer to have the key coded. We live out in the sticks, his estimate is 800 cash to have all of this done. That's a lot of money for a family living paycheck to paycheck to come up with all at once.

When I was renting, I only had renters insurance when forced to have it because I knew that I'd never need it. When I turned 30 and we bought our first home, we realized the value of insurance just for times like this. In the 30 years that has passed, I have heard so many stories of people just like this, who tragically lost everything in a fire they didn't even cause and were left starting over with nothing. It always breaks my heart because renters insurance is so cheap.

[wraiths_crono]

Wow, I think it made a small section of local news. With all the fires we get in AZ you would think that people would know the right and the wrong way... nevermind... Hmm we need a CS AZ meetup some time heh.

[Slave to the Phone]

I agree that its amazing that anyone heard about a trailer fire in the middle of nowhere when there are bigger and flashier fires happening all over the state.

I also agree that us Zoners should schedule an AZ CS meet-up sometime, but I will say right not that I will only go into the Valley of Way Too Much Sun during times when the temps there are under 95F (35C) (AT NOON!!!) unless there is dire need.

Prescott is very nice this time of the year. The Goodwin fire is mostly over now, but the Black Canyon fire might cause traffic delays on the 17.

Also...now that the monsoon season has started, I just got a flood warning on my phone. Lovely. The folks evacuated due to the fire also had their power cut off for 3 days. They have just managed to get all of that mess taken care of and now their homes are going to be flooded.

[NCIS4Ever2001]

I know...but I'm curious Slave, you mention Prescott, AZ if you happen to know this guy

Travis Lofland is his name...he used to be on the reality crabbing show Deadliest Catch...I'm FB friends with him, currently he's in Alaska salmon fishing but I believe he divides his down time between Prescott & Sarasota Fl (where his g/f & 3 daughters live)

anyhow, just thought I'd ask...small world if you do know him