We live half of the year in Greer, which is on the northwestern edge of that fire, and have elk in our yard nightly. We were ordered to evacuate on June 4, and although we have not been allowed to return yet, we have been following reports of the fire closely. Total area burned is said to be more than 700 square miles in Arizona and a tiny part of New Mexico. This is an area larger than Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff combined.

We've heard reports of elk being trapped and dying in the fire, but those reports are few. There are more reports about the danger of driving because of huge herds of elk along and on the roads, especially at night. Actually, those of us who live in the middle of Arizona's best elk country have always tried to avoid driving at night there for exactly that reason. Seeing herds of up to 300 or more animals is not unusual in the summer.

I personally doubt that the number of elk, deer or bear killed by the fire will be significant at all. I also doubt that permit numbers will need to be increased, especially for elk. They are grazers and our summer rains, which usually start on or about July 4, typically bring our grasses back quickly.

Bill Quimby

I uesd to hunt the area around Hannagan Meadows in the 60's and 70's. It was a very pretty area and I hope it hasn't burned too badly. It is sure sad that it has impacted the hunting in a negative way.

The historic Hannagan Meadow Lodge was spared, thanks to a great fire crew, but the forest around it is gone.

The fire began from an abandoned campfire in the Bear Wallow Wilderness area below the rim and spread all the way to Springerville and Alpine, some 35 or more miles north.

The horrible part of it is that the fire could have been held below the rim by dropping slurry from tanker planes and having jump crews cut a fire break with chain saws to contain it early before it grew too big and too hot to handle.

Unfortunately, such things are prohibited under the infinite wisdom of the U.S. Wilderness Act.

Bill Quimby

Bill, Thanks for letting me know about the lodge and all. What a terrible shame and waste. I have many happy memories of times spent hunting there in my younger days with members of my family that are now gone. If they could have stopped it earlier and didn't because of some BS rule then they are disgusting in my eyes. Anyway I guess one of my favorite areas on earth is forever gone and ruined. I'm sure that holds true for a lot of other people. Hope it doesn't impact you in a bad way. Thanks again, Don

My wife and I are among those "lot of other people." We bought our property in Greer 41 years ago and have spent all those years building our little cabin with our own hands. The fire came within 400 yards of us a week ago when it destroyed the cabins of 22 of our neighbors. Only God and heroic firefighters saved our memories and the entire village from turning into ash.

What hurts is that the Hannagan Meadow area was not the only unique place on that mountain. Escudilla Peak, for example, was torched, as was hundreds of square miles of wild and beautiful places on both sides of the Black River.

Aspens will return in a few years, of course, but it could be fifty years before the huge ponderosas and firs return.

Bill Quimby