Aspen fire recovery
In the summer of 2003, the Aspen fire destroyed much of Summerhaven on Mount Lemmon. The land is recovering and many of the residents have rebuilt sine then.
Aspen Fire recovery
Customers and well-wishers mill around shortly after the grand reopening of the Mt. Lemmon General Store & Gift Shop in Summerhaven, AZ., Saturday June 19, 2004. Photo by Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Aspen Fire recovery
Debbie Fagan, owner of The Living Rainbow Gift Shop, in Summerhaven, which was destroyed during the Aspen fire. It has been rebuilt and is now open, Monday March 7, 2005. Photo by James S. Wood/Arizona Daily Star.
Aspen Fire recovery
Aspens have already begun to sprout up in places on Mt. Lemmon burned over by the Aspen Fire. Here, a cabin in Summerhaven already has a grove of the young trees next to it. Photo taken Thursday, July 21, 2005, by Chris Richards, Arizona Daily Star.
Aspen Fire recovery
Penstemon flowers (red) and a yellow flower bloom above the trailhead to the Aspen Draw Trail on Mt. Lemmon Thursday July 29, 2004 near the Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley (in background). All the trails and recreation areas closed by the Aspen Fire are being reopened to the public Friday July 30, 2004. Photo by Aaron J. Latham/Arizona Daily Star.
Aspen Fire recovery
Homes are popping up all over the place in Summerhaven after the Aspen Fire occurred in 2003. Here the photo shows the general store which opened up a year after the fire. Photo by James S. Wood/Arizona Daily Star, March 7, 2005.
Aspen Fire recovery
The cabins and homes rebuilding is starting in the Summerhaven area of Mt. Lemmon. Photo by Benjie Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, September 18, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
Gail Paulin walks dog Rosie around her and husband Ken's nearly completed cabin on Fern Ridge atop Mt. Lemmon Thursday, June 9, 2005. The couple lost their first cabin to the Aspen Fire in 2003 and they rebuilt (nearly by themselves) the new cabin. Jeffry Scott/Arizona Daily Star.
Aspen Fire recovery
Suzanne Hensel, author of a book on Summerhaven titled "Look to the Mountains," reflects on the Aspen fire on the porch of the Huntsman Cabin which survived the fire. It is the oldest on the mountain. It was completed in 1908. Photo by Ron Medvescek, Sept. 12, 2003
Aspen Fire recovery
Large new homes replace many of the smaller cabins that burned in the Aspen Fire in 2003 on Mt. Lemmon in Summerhaven, Ariz. Photo by Greg Bryan/Arizona Daily Star, May 22, 2007.
Aspen Fire recovery
A century plant is engulfed with flames as hotshot crews backburned areas along the Catalina Highway near Molino Basin Saturday afternoon. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, July 5, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
The damaged patio eating area of the Mt. Lemmon Cafe along the business stretch of Summerhaven. The main part of the cafe appeared undamaged, with pies still for sale still in the window. Photo by David Sanders, Arizona Daily Star, June 20, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
The Aspen Fire burns low through Bear Canyon on Mt. Lemmon Thursday July 10, 2003. Photo by Aaron J. Latham/Arizona Daily Star
Aspen Fire recovery
The sun rises through a smoke filled sky near Bear Canyon and Snyder Roads as smoke from the Aspen Fire burning near Sabino Canyon and on Mt. Lemmon filled the sky. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, July 3, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
Metal chairs and tables are all thats left of the Summerhaven business called Cabins & Cookies after the Aspen Fire rolled through the mountain top town. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, June 19, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
Kent Romeny of Grants Pass, Oregon, looks over a burnout Sunday night at Cypress picnic area in Bear Canyon. Various crews burned out the area to starve the Aspen Fire. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, July 6, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
Crews from Corona de Tucson and Three Points Fire Department throwing loose debris into the fire as the fire moves toward a home in Summerhaven, as two large firewood piles burn in the background. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, June 19, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
The main foundation of the Summerhaven business called "Cabins & Cookies" burns as the Aspen Fire raged through Summerhaven Thursday afternoon. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, June 19, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
A chimney stack is all that remains as an undamaged home is in the background. When the Aspen Fire spread through Summerhaven it literally would attack one home, yet leave the next one alone. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star, June 20, 2003.
Aspen Fire recovery
A full engulfed home at the corner of Phoenix Ave. and Carter Canyon Road is consumed by flames as the Aspen Fire spreads through Summerhaven June 19, 2003. Photo by David Sanders/Arizona Daily Star.
Recent wildfires ravaging forests across the West have left mostly loss and lament in their smoldering wake - but now and then even the worst …
The story of the Aspen Fire is a monthlong saga, but its climax comes on the third day, with the destruction of Summerhaven, shortly after 1 p.m. on June 19, 2003.
The Aspen Fire was contained July 12, 2003. It burned 84,750 acres and more than 325 structures.