The Monster Reared His Ugly Head, the Story of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire [Perfect Paperback]

Jim Paxon (Author), Rebecca Hayes (Editor), Ken Palmrose (Content) (Editor), Photos (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2007

The Rodeo Fire was ignited at approximately 4:00 p.m. on June 18, 2002 by a parttime firefighter seeking work. The Chediski fire was started by a lost hiker on June 20th. at approximately 7:00 a.m. Within three days, the two fires burned together and grew to be the most damaging and largest fire in Arizona's history, consuming 468,000 acres and burning 465 homes and six businesses. 4,500 firefighters battled the blaze for almost three weeks before it was contained. A dozen communities were evacuated and 35,000 people were out of their homes for as much as two weeks. Paxon was the national spokesman for the Southwest Incident Management Team that was tasked with battling the blaze and this is the story of the fire, day by day, through his eyes. The book also contains chapters on amassed scientific information on fire behavior, effects of drought, fuel loads, environmental concerns and what lead up to the biggest and most destructive fire in Arizona's history. The final chapters contain ways to reduce fire risk utilizing "Firewise" concepts and predictions for the future in wildland fire for Arizona and much ot the mountain West. There are almost 300 photos of wild fire that one will never see in the media, most taken by firefighters on the firelines, so close so that you can feel the heat.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jim Paxon was the national spokesman on the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in June/July 2002 in the White Mountains. His twice daily briefings to the media became the source for information on Arizona's largest and most destructive wildfire. His calm demeanor and no nonsense messages eliminated doubt yet gave hope to 35,000 evacuees and the entire country as the fire grew to burn more than 731 square miles, 465 homes and six businesses. At the peak of the battle, some 4,500 firefighters and support personnel worked to behead the monster. Paxon gained folk-hero status and received writeups in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Arizona Republic, Arizona Daily Star and many other media outlets to include CNN Europe. This book records the ecological events that lead up to that fire from information supplied by the Ecological Resoration Institute at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and the Tree Ring Laboratory at University of Arizona in Tucson. The book also gives a perspective on the political/social situation that led up to this climax "mega" fire. There is a very informative chapter on firefighters, their equipment and tactics as well as a chapter on the way Incident Management Teams attack fires. The meat of the book is Paxon's day by day journaling of events as he and 4,500 firefighters lived them during two and one half weeks on 16 to 20 hour days. His Texas drawl and homespun manner can be read in his writing style, although the book is full of information and captivating --Becky Hayes, editor

About the Author

Paxon was born and raised in West Texas (Lubbock) and graduated Forestry School in Nacogdoches, Texas from Stephen F. Austin State University. He went to his first wildfire in 1969 and spent the next 34 years chasing fire, while working for the U. S. Forest Service in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The last 13 years of his career were spent on a National Incident Management Team (one of only 16) that responds to manage large, complex fires all over the nation, when called.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Cedar Hill Publishing; 2nd edition (May 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933324945
• ISBN-13: 978-1933324944
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,408,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)