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    Worst State Wildifres, By the Numbers

    The Wallow Fire and Other Devastating Wildifres of the Past

    By Adam Justice | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Thu, Jun 16, 2011
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
    Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor

    Arizona's Wallow fire became the largest in the state's history Tuesday, according to the New York Times. More than 10,000 people have been displaced, and over 4,000 firefighters are working to contain the blaze. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service said the investigation is focused on two people who may have ignited the blaze with a campfire, according to Christian Post. Their names have not been released.

    Over 7,000 evacuees returned to their homes Sunday, and more are scheduled to be able to return today. However, the fire is only 18 percent contained at the time of this writing.

    Rodeo-Chediski: Arizona, June 18, 2002

    468,000: Acres that burned during the Rodeo-Chediski Fire

    469,000: Acres the Wallow fire had consumed as of Tuesday, making it the largest in Arizona's history

    18: Percentage of containment on the Wallow fire at the time it became the largest wildfire in Arizona state history

    465: Number of homes lost in the Rodeo-Chediski fire

    10: Years in prison arsonist Leonard Gregg received for his role in starting the fire

    Cerro Grande Fire: New Mexico, May 2000

    429: Number of families who lost their homes during the blaze

    48,000: Number of acres burned during the Cerro Grande Fire

    0: Total death toll, despite the large number of homes that burned

    50: Wind speed, in miles per hour, at the time a controlled fire was set as part of a 10-year plan for reducing hazard. The controlled fire was the cause of ignition.

    Thumb Fire: Michigan 1881

    1,000,000: Number of acres burned during the fire

    281: Death toll throughout several Michigan counties

    $2,347,000: Monetary amount of damage estimated to be caused by the fire

    1917: Year that Michigan first purchased a tractor for use in firefighting to combat huge losses in the timber industry

    Bugaboo Scrub Fire: Georgia and Florida, April 2007

    22: Number of homes destroyed during the fire

    600,000: Acres of land burned

    619: Number of personnel fighting the fire at its peak

    6: Number of aircraft committed to fighting the blaze

    23: Number of bulldozers committed to fighting the fire

    2,200: Number of miles one crew drove from California to help fight the fire

    Peshtigo Fire: Wisconsin, Oct. 8, 1871

    2,400: Highest estimate of total deaths, making this the worst fire in American history in terms of fatalities. Estimates officially range from the 1,200 to 2,400

    2,400: Square miles covered by the Peshtigo fire

    1: Number of horse-drawn water pumps available in the town of Peshtigo to fight mill fires

    700: In degrees, the estimated ambient air temperature near the advancing fire that burnt would be survivors running for their lives

    12: Number of communities totally destroyed by the fire

    Cedar Fire: California, October 2003

    280,278: Acres burned during the Cedar Fire, making it the largest fire on record in California's history

    2,820: Number of buildings destroyed during the Cedar Fire

    15: Death toll of the Cedar Fire, including one firefighter

    38: Age of Steven Rucker, the lone firefighter who died during operations during the Cedar Fire

    15: Number of fires, including the Cedar Fire, that took place during the month of October 2003 in California

    6: In months, the sentence for Sergio Martinez, who was convicted of starting the fire

    960: Hours of community service given to Martinez, who was also forced to pay $9,000 in restitution

    641: Number of structures destroyed in the Cedar Fire

    Evans Road Wildfire: North Carolina, June 1, 2008

    41,534: Number of acres burned during the Evans Road Wildfire, all inside the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

    71: Number of high-capacity pumps brought to fight the fire. Billions of gallons of water was pumped during the operation.

    184,000: Gallons per minute pumping capacity of all the pumps running simultaneously

    5: Inches that firefighters were authorized to draw down Lake Phelps while pumping

    3,000: Gallons of fire retardant drop capacity of the heavy air tanker that assisted firefighters

    62: Square miles consumed by the fire.

    Sources-

    Jemez Mountains Fire History, Arizona.edu

    Cerro Grande Prescribed Fire Investigation Report, NPS.gov

    http://www.peshtigofire.info/

    Cedar Fire Final Update, State of California

    Cedar Fire Memorial, Lakeside Historical Society

    Hunter gets probation, Terry Figueroa, North County Times

    Evans Road Wildfire Update, skinnymoose.com

    Progress Being Made on Evans Road Wildfire, skinnymoose.com

    A Tornado of a Fire Revisited, Stephanie Hemphill, Minnesota Public Radio

    "History of Michigan," Charles Moore, Lewis Publishing Co.

    Bugaboo Scrub Fire Dubbed Largest in Florida History, news4jax.com

    Bugaboo Scrub Fire, Xtimeline.com

     

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