Photos: The Bullock Fire in 2002
The Bullock Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains in 2002 was a preview of the Aspen Fire in 2003.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Smoke from the Bullock Fire turns a sunrise into fiery red as the sun rises through the smoke near Windy Point.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
The Bullock Fire had burned 3,000 acres by the afternoon of the second day because of high winds. This photo was taken May 22, 2002.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
A Forest Service plane dumps slurry on the Bullock Fire, which had grown to 3,000 acres by May 22, 2002, the day after the fire started.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Trees catch fire during a controlled burn near Soller's Road on Mount Lemmon, just 100 yards from the Catalina Highway near the Green Mountain area.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Marcus Panteah, a hotshot firefighter from Zuni, N.M., uses a chain saw to clear the forest as crews work to contain the Bullock Fire.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Jim Etshokin with the U.S. Forest Service keeps an eye on the escalating Bullock Fire from a safe vantage point.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
The Bullock Fire picks up speed on the second day as it races up the side of a ridge in the Catalinas.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
The Bullock Fire progresses up the Santa Catalinas as seen from the northeast from a helicopter on Wednesday, May 29, 2002.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Flames from the Bullock Fire crest a ridge on the north side of the Catalinas on Wednesday, May 29, 2002.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
An air tanker — one of 10 — drops fire retardant on the Bullock Fire. The slurry is a mixture of water, chemical fire inhibitors and crimson dye that shows pilots what's already been hit.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Flames from the Bullock Fire flare up on a ridge near Mount Bigelow, which houses communications equipment, TV transmitters and UA telescopes.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Workers from Houston's Trail End Catering from Kanab, Utah, form an assembly line as they bag 2,000 lunches for firefighters.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Laguna Hotshot crew members head to the site of one of the burnout operations near Rose Canyon.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Covered in sawdust, a weary Felipe Marquez with the Laguna Hotshots from Southern California takes a break after falling several tall snags (dead pine trees) before burnout operations across the street from the Rose Canyon entrance in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Laura McLaughlin of the Laguna Hotshot crew uses a drip torch to ignite ground fuels in a burnout operation in the Catalinas.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Smoke rises from below the Mount Bigelow TV and communications towers as a firefighting helicopter heads toward still-smoldering hot spots.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Smoke towering into the sky from a flare-up of the Bullock Fire is visible from Aspen Vista in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
A Forest Service fire crew patrols the Catalina Highway looking for hot spots to douse after extensive back burning was done to keep the Bullock Fire from spreading.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
Air tankers prepare to take off from Fort Huachuca to drop 3,000 gallons each of fire retardant, also known as slurry, onto the Bullock Fire in the Catalina Mountains.
The Bullock Fire in 2002
An air tanker makes a defensive slurry drop near Oracle Mine Road and Stratton Ridge, on the northern edge of the fire area.
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