On June 18th, 2002, the Rodeo Fire was ignited and the flames soon ballooned and ravaged the area, threatening lives, homes, and structures. Three days later, the Chediski Fire began burning. The two fires soon combined to create one of Arizona's most devastating wildfires. With over 32,000 evacuees and over 468,000 acres burned, the lasting impacts of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire are still felt to this day.
The Show Low Museum graciously gave us time with volunteer Sue Sisson who lived through the fire and curated a Rodeo-Chediski room in the museum to preserve the history and lessons learned from the event. Sue walks us through the timeline of the fire and reminds us of the importance of fire safety.
In the end, more than 460 home and businesses were lost, but over 2,000 were saved. No lives were lost, though thousands were forever changed.
Earlier this week in our Board of Supervisor's Meeting, a proclamation was issued declaring June 2022 as the "20 Year Remembrance of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire".
The proclamation states, "Today we look back and acknowledge the hundreds of fire personnel, law enforcement, county staff and volunteers that supported the first responders, evacuees and Emergency Operations Center. We also acknowledge our resilient citizens of Navajo County."
To read the full proclamation, visit: https://destinyhosted.com/.../2806_Rodeo-Chediski_Fire...
We will never forget the valor of the first responders who put their lives on the line to preserve the lives and homes of their neighbors. We will never forget the volunteers who opened shelters, the teams who relayed information day by day. We are stronger together. We are better together.
As we near the 20-year anniversary of the beginning of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, we can honor the lessons learned by keeping a "go kit" ready at all times in case of evacuations, and we can do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities educated on staying safe during fire season and always:
https://navajocountyaz.gov/.../Emergency.../Ready-Set-GO
To visit the Rodeo-Chediski Fire room, visit the Show Low Museum at:
561 E Deuce of Clubs # 3
Show Low, AZ 85901
(928) 532-7115
Original source can be found here.
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