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By Sam Hosler
Mayor, Town of Kearny
Firefighters came from throughout Arizona to take on the Kearny River Fire. I did my best to talk with some of the crews, usually when they came back to town to get water. Safford, Globe, Pine/Strawberry. Florence, which sent a full fire truck in case the blaze should enter the town. All the crews were glad to chat. They were covered with dirt and ash, and their eyes looked raw. The heavy garb looked very uncomfortable in the heat of the day.
An all-woman team came from the Department of Corrections in Perryville. All the men spoke about how good and how tough the women were. “They simply take the heat better than us,” one firefighter said.
I am thankful for all these people. But I stand in awe of our own Kearny Volunteer Fire Department. They tackled the fire on behalf of their families, their friends. They have spent countless hours in training and have superbly cared for their equipment. They left their jobs and families, quick as a wink, and rushed to don their garb and begin the fight.
At one point, I personally thought they might be winning. The initial black smoke was turning to a brownish-gray and the volume of smoke was down. But then there was a small, almost imperceptible shift in wind direction, and the fire popped south along the water treatment plant, then quickly roared around it and the southern perimeter of the town. You know the rest of the story.
And I am thankful for the Kearny Police Department and the Volunteers in Patrol. Chief Corso seemed to be everywhere at once. The police and the volunteers worked long and hard, day and night. It is difficult to manage an evacuation. People were deeply concerned for their lives and for their belongings, and tempers sometimes got frayed. Overall, things went very well, better than during the Shipman Fire.
Our deepest sadness is for Stephens Trailer Park and the wonderful people there. They paid a heavy price. Now is the time for us to help them. A fund has been established at the Ray Federal Credit Union. Please support it.
Allow me to give thanks for our whole town crew. The water lines took a terrible pounding, and the men were constantly making repairs. And our Town Manager, Anna Flores? She moved gracefully and wisely through it all. Judge Dave Orzell did a great job as our Public Information Officer. And the dispatchers. And everyone at the school… and…. and…. there’s not enough room.
It is done now. Time to tackle other things. Thank you, people of Kearny and the Copper Basin.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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