The Monster Reared His Ugly Head

Have you ever seen a forest fire or wildland fire up close? If not, you don't want to. These images -- of fire out of control, of people and vehicles in harm's way, of the sheer magnitude of this event -- will take your breath away. The vision of the effort to save lives, homes, property and communities is staggering .... The Rodeo-Chediski Fire began on June 18, 2002, and is, to date, the largest, most expensive, and most damaging fire in Arizona's history. It was started by a person at the rodeo grounds in Cibieque, Arizona; hence, "Rodeo" as the name of the fire. The Chediski fire was started many miles away by another person two days after the Radio fire began. And within three days, they merged into one forest-gobbling monster -- dust jacket.