Arizona Fire is Now Record Setting

The Wallow Fire, which authorities suspect started from a small unattended campfire, has scorched dozens of homes and displaced as many as 10,000 people since it erupted May 29 in the White Mountains region, an area popular among Arizonans as a weekend getaway from the heat of summer.

The wind-whipped blaze has burned mostly in and around the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest, about 150 miles east of Phoenix, churning through vast stretches of thick ponderosa pine.

Evacuation orders were lifted on Sunday for 7,000 to 8,000 residents forced to flee last week from two towns near the border with New Mexico, Springerville and Eagar.

But authorities have warned returning families that lingering smoke and soot in the air pose health risks for children and people with respiratory problems.

An estimated 1,900 additional people from several nearby towns evacuated in the first week of the blaze were notified on Monday night that it would probably be at least a few more days before they would be permitted to go back home.

While the blaze is far from being brought under control, fire managers said on Monday that they had turned a corner in their battle to curtail its advance toward populated areas.

"Nobody's really in the clear yet," U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Suzanne Flory said on Tuesday, but she added, "Overall, there's a sense of optimism."

Some 4,300 firefighters working around the clock have now carved containment lines around 18 percent of the fire's perimeter, mostly between its eastern flank and communities on either side of the Arizona-New Mexico line.

The New Mexico town of Luna, an enclave of about 200 people less than 10 miles east of the Arizona border, remains on alert for possible evacuation.

Controlled burns have been carried out on the outskirts of that town to remove tinder-dry brush and trees as potential fuel for advancing flames. But U.S. Forest Service officials say that so far the Wallow Fire itself has not crept into New Mexico.

The latest aerial infrared images of the fire on Tuesday show that 469,407 acres -- or about 733 square miles -- have burned overall, surpassing the 468,638 acres charred in 2002 by the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in eastern Arizona. That makes the Wallow Fire the largest on record in Arizona.

In terms of property losses, however, the Rodeo-Chidiski was far worse, destroying about 400 homes, Flory said.

What's Up With Robin Meade...Country Music?

I had a chance to talk with Robin Meade at the CMA Country Music Fest this weekend in Nashville.  Yes, that Robin Meade.  Robin Meade who presides over HLN's Morning Express each day, and apparently dabbles in country music. 

 

It may seem a bit unlikely, but she has a country music CD coming out, and it's actually pretty good.  She was making the rounds the whole week in Nashville and even performed on one of the smaller stages Sunday afternoon.  I was kind of rushed, so I hate that I missed her performance, but here's the info on her CD. It's called Brand New Day, and it's set for a June 21 release. You can get it at Target or through iTunes.

Robin has some big names guesting on her debut CD, including country singer and Celebrity Apprentice winner John Rich, American Idol's Bo Bice, Kix Brooks and Sarah Buxton.

She was as nice as ever and was having a great time, although I'm sure a lot of country music fans didn't know who she was.  She made it a point that she wants to do both; her HLN gig and also country music.

If anyone can do it all, it's Robin.

Packers to Receive Super Bowl Rings June 16

It will be a private ceremony, but it will be the one time Green Bay Packer players will be able to interact with coaches and team management.  They will all gather to be presented with their Super Bowl rings.

“We’re staying consistent with what we’ve done in the past,” said team President and CEO Mark Murphy.  Every player entitled to a ring will receive an invitation to attend the ceremony, and the good news for many Packer fans who were worried, Al Harris will get a ring.

The Packers prefer to keep the list of players and employees that receive rings private, but Packers CEO Mark Murphy did reveal during the Packers Tailgate Tour earlier this month that cornerback Al Harris would get one. 

A mainstay of the Green Bay seconday for years, Harris spent half the season on the PUP list (physically unable to perform) and was never on the active roster in 2010 before getting cut. Rewarding Harris with a ring will go over well in the locker room and acknowledges his tireless rehabilitation efforts after suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2009.

According to Murphy, General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy made the final decision on Harris getting a ring. 

Another big ceremony, however, is still on hold.  That would be a trip to the White House.

“We would love to be able to do it but really that’s going to be dependent on when the labor situation gets resolved,” said Murphy. “It would have to be resolved.”

I say, let's get get this thing resolved!

Raiders of the Lost Ark is 30

Is it possible that my favorite movie of all time is 30 years old?

It's true.  

It has been three decades since Harrison Ford first donned that fedora and swung that whip as Indiana Jones. The film was released on June 12, 1981.

Since then, Ford brought Jones back to the big screen three more times - in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984), "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008.

And there might be another one in the works - Shia LaBeouf, who starred alongside Ford in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," said that a fifth film "isn't far off."

Let's hope it recaptures some of the thrill of the earlier films.

Mavs Earn NBA Championship, Nowitzky Stars

Dirk Nowitzki finally nabbed his first NBA championship. Not surprisingly, he was also named the MVP of the NBA finals for his heroic efforts that gifted Dallas Mavericks their first ever championship. Of the 21 points he scored in the final against Heat, most of them came at crucial times.

''Just the feeling to be on the best team of the world is just undescribable'' said a beaming Nowitzki after the final. Although Nowitzki had been named the MVP of the 2007 edition of the league as well, this one is undoubtedly the most special for him.

"If you're in this league for 13 years of just battling and playoffs the last 10 years, 11 years, and always coming up a little short, that's why this is extra special." Nowitzki's own words.

On Sunday, things did not begin as pretty as expected for the 7-foot player though. After the match, Nowitzki admitted that he felt it ''wierd'' to miss 15 of the first 19 shots that he would normally make on any other day. Naturally, he had come under the hammer for his performance in the first three quarters.

Maverick fans had to wait till the fourth quarter to witness him unleashing his prowess that defined the true champion that he is. He left behind the psychological burden of his disappointing performance in the early quarters, and came up trumps by scoring 10 of his 21 points in the final 12 minutes.

After the victory, Nowitzki rushed to embrace a comrade - Jason Terry. Five years back in 2006, Terry standing besides Nowitzki on the Mavericks' home turf after Heat defeated them, was a picture of dejection.

On Sunday, that image metamorphosed into a poster for vindication, if not sheer jubilation. It was befitting that Terry said after the match ''Tonight, we got vindication''.

Nowitzki was all praise for his teammate. ''Man, he kept coming all night long. He was phenominal''. Terry, who reportedly instilled fire in Nowitzki during the fourth quarter by reminding him of their 2006 downfall kept him going till the end. Terry had actually took it on himself after seeing a feverish Nowitzki uncharacteristically struggle during the first three quarters.

Great players usually rise to the occasion in big games, LeBron, where were you?