Smoke Jumpers @ Grant County Airport

An old friend of mine, Jeff Davis, who was with the smoke jumpers up @ Missoula, Montana, for nearly 20 years, & I, visited the smoke jumpers stationed @ Grant County Airport. The jumpers have so far been dropped on either the Miller Fire, near the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, &/or, the Organ Mountains ("Abrahms"). Jeff, who has seen some horrific fire seasons & fires, speculates that if the large cumulus clouds that provide lightning & thunder over the Gila, begin to build. The Gila normally sees lots of lightning strike fires. So far, the word appears to be that the Miller Fire may be related to a hunter's inattentiveness.
As well all know here in Silver City, we've already experienced a half dozen or more "human caused fires" in or near the Silver City boundaries. Several (the fire @ South Spring Street & Gold), erupted in a kind of "common area," which was surrounded by older homes, even cabins; lots of highly combustible materials along San Vincente Creek; and a dead end road where the fire fighters & trucks could have been stuck had the fire turned on them.
This fire, which was started @ night, could have engulfed some homes & single wides quickly. And, what about elderly people or people with hearing disabilities, for instance, who might not have heard fire trucks coming into the area? The arsonist, if we have an arsonist(s) at work, is/aren't apparently concerned about killing people. This is serious. Any arson fire could cost people their lives. Arson fires also can cause major property loss.
The photos are taken Saturday, May 6 & Tuesday, 9 May, 2011: