Wildfires raging near Rancho Pan Duro

Pan Duro fires, SonoraWe just returned from Rancho Pan Duro on the spine of the Sierra Madre. It is located south of Los Ojos, 50 miles or so southeast of Agua Prieta/Douglas. Mexico doesn't have fire suppression infrastructure in place as does the US. Also the forests are more heavily used so consequently there is not so much fuel loading. Nevertheless, monsoons bring thunderstorms and lightning; and much fire. Ruben's vaqueros went to the rancho, and with the air heavy with smoke they scraped a fireline to protect the main house, the vaqueros bunkhouse, and some outbuildings. Some hilltops were really decimated, and some of the thick manzanita overgrowth was obliterated, but the ranch house survived. The corral between some of the houses didn't fare so well. Good job, vaqueros. Muy valiente. Now there will be quite a lot of work to prevent erosion.

 

Ashes of a fallen corral post give mute evidence of a recent fire.

All it took was a narrow scraped fireline to save the ranch house.

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