MickieDee: Charlotte Fire, Pocatello, ID

The 'Charlotte' fire reportedly started in the Charlotte Road area of Mink Creek about 2:30pm on June 28, 2012 and spread very quickly, fueled by bone dry grass and junipers; driven by wind gusts in the 90 degree heat of the afternoon.

This fire was at the Southeast end of Pocatello in the Mink Creek and Gibson Jack Canyon area.

The area was a tinderbox with 2-3 months of dry wind and no moisture.

There were 66 homes lost in the flames and 29 outbuildings.

Personal Video Coverage on YouTube

In addition to numerous local, city and county resources, the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center EIIFC responded to assist the county by sending seven heavy engines, one air attack, four single-engine air tankers, two heavy air tankers, one lead plane, one type II helicopter and two bulldozers.

A rough estimate on the cost of damage to homes is $7.6 million USD. Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center claims an estimated 1,038 acres burned. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from the Mink Creek, Johnny Creek and Gibson Jack areas.

The lack of rain, high temperatures and wind have placed so many areas in Idaho, Utah and Colorado on “Red Flag” status for wildfires. This is an unusually early start to what promises to be a long fire season.

I took some photos of the area when I was in Pocatello on today. The devastation is heartbreaking and the sense of loss was overwhelming.

The Red Cross is accepting monetary donations to do things from providing clothes to replacing eyeglasses, even providing rent for someone who needs it. It has also brought in medical and mental health professionals to help. The Red Cross has said it will keep all donation local as long as a restrictive note is made on the check.

You can get funds to the Red Cross in one of the following ways:

• Send a check to the Boise office (146 South Cole, 83709).

• Give a check to Liz Jordan at the Red Cross Blood office in the Pine Ridge Mall, which
she will forward to Boise.

• Donate online at redcrossidaho.org. There is nowhere online to specify that the gift be
used locally, but you can direct it to the Idaho Chapter or to Disaster Relief.

• Give online through the United Way of Southeastern Idaho (unitedwaysei.org)—we’ll ensure
that 100 percent of the funds go directly to the Red Cross for local victims’ relief.
Select the option to "add special instructions to the seller” and tell us the funds are
for Red Cross’s local fire relief efforts.

• Send a check to United Way (PO Box 911, Pocatello 83204) and tell it to send the funds
to Red Cross for Pocatello fire relief.

In addition to money, the Red Cross is also accepting commercially prepared food. The organization is accepting clothing through Deseret Industries in Pocatello at 580 Roosevelt Ave.

The organization is helping provide a help line for victims at (208) 234-6201.

Businesses can help the Red Cross through the Pocatello Businesses Care! organization. A Facebook page is set up for that purpose at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pocatello-Businesses-Care/169957419803904.

You can also donate to the Red Cross at Lowe's in Pocatello. You can choose to donate there, regardless of if you buy anything.