Wild Fires

For the past several days we have been aware of a smell of wood burning in the air. A few days have been hazy. All of this is because of wild fires burning here in Utah. I was impressed today when the following letter was read in Church today.

Wildfires: Church leaders ask members to remember firefighters in prayers

Published: Friday, June 29, 2012

Deseret News photo

Fire near Herriman, Utah. June 29, 2012.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued the following statement:
“As requested by Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert, the Church is pleased to come together in prayer with other Utahns during this difficult time. We are mindful of those in Utah and neighboring states who have been impacted by wildfires. We encourage individuals, families and congregations to pray for the safety of firefighters, protection of lives and homes and favorable weather conditions to help control the many wildfires currently burning.”

Western wildfires devastate; Church members unharmed
Residents ordered to evacuate from 10-alarm Rose Crest Fire in Herriman
Fire breaks out near Rose Canyon; evacuations in place

RENO, Nev. (AP) – A firefighting aircraft crashed into rugged terrain near the Utah-Nevada border as it dropped retardant on a 5,000-acre wildfire, killing the two Idaho men on board. Find a Forecast Find your local weather with The Weather Channel zip-code lookup: By Scott G Winterton, AP The crash scene of an air tanker is seen from the air on Monday near Hamblin Valley, Utah. The plane crashed Sunday afternoon, as it dropped retardant on a wildfire, killing pilots Todd Neal Tompkins and Ronnie Edwin Chambless, both of Boise, Idaho. Enlarge By Scott G Winterton, AP The crash scene of an air tanker is seen from the air on Monday near Hamblin Valley, Utah. The plane crashed Sunday afternoon, as it dropped retardant on a wildfire, killing pilots Todd Neal Tompkins and Ronnie Edwin Chambless, both of Boise, Idaho. Sponsored Links The air tanker went down Sunday afternoon in the Hamblin Valley area of western Utah, Bureau of Land Management officials said. A helicopter crew saw the crash and told ground crews that "it didn't look good," Iron County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Jody Edwards in Utah told The Salt Lake Tribune. The two pilots were fighting the fire, which was sparked Friday by lightning in eastern Nevada. It has spread into Utah, though most of the blaze remained in Nevada, about 150 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Ground and air crews held the fire back from the wreckage, giving sheriff's deputies enough time to drive and hike to the site and confirm that the pilots had died, Edwards said. The fire later overwhelmed the crash site, Edwards said. A medical examiner was helping authorities recover the bodies Sunday night. The weather was windy and hot, creating "explosive fire conditions," said Tom Harbour, the fire and aviation operations director for the U.S. Forest Service. The terrain was rolling hills with pine, juniper and cheat grass, a thin wispy grass that carries fire quickly. There was no immediate word on what caused the crash