Motorists urged to be cautious driving through Willow Fire area on SR87

By Lindsay Butler, Roundup intern

Friday, July 9, 2004

Highway 87 is open in both directions and will probably remain open, said Law Enforcement Liaison Jim Clawson.

However, motorists are to be cautious on the road - especially between Rye and Sunflower - as one of the guard rails was damaged from the Willow Fire, he said.

Clawson also said that motorists might see some devastation from the highway.

"You're going to see some things that may shock you," he said. "Make sure that the driver keeps his eyes on the road so you don't run into anybody there."

Fire officials said drivers should be on their guard, as crews will still be working near the highway.

The Willow Fire is 40-percent contained as of Friday, and Operations Section Chief Roy Hall said morale is good among the firefighters.

"Little successes like yesterday provide contagious enthusiasm for the firefighters," he said. "We've still got a large job to do."

As the crews work further south, the temperatures rise and create more problems for dousing the fire. Water from helicopters tends to evaporate in the air, making fire retardant a better option.

To better serve this need, the firefighters will set up a mobile fire retardant unit near the area of Cross F Ranch, north of Sunflower.

So far, the fire has eaten up 490,000 gallons of retardant, 1.7 million gallons of water and 680 gallons of foam.

Lightning sparked the Willow Fire on June 24. It has destroyed 119,500 acres and has cost $7.4 million so far.

Pick up a copy of the Friday edition of the Payson Roundup to have a printed version of newspaper reports during these important events.

Watch payson.com for regular updates.