The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

In ominous, dark smoke, fire crews wait at an intersection in Linden. A dark, sooty cloud has engulfed much of the region.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Fire engulfs ponderosa pines off Forest Road 322 in Aripine.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A Corona de Tucson firefighter flees wind-driven flames near a hot spot at a girls camp off Forest Road 322 in Aripine.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A tired Rob Watson of the Pinetop Fire Department waits for new orders at a staging area in Linden after winds picked up in the morning. Watson's department was involved in the first attacks on Rodeo.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A sign on Arizona 260 tells residents where to go for shelter. About 4,000 people were evacuated Wednesday, with about 400 of those taking shelter at a high school gym in Springerville. A middle school gym in Eagar was also available to those who needed a place to stay.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Jamie Mace of LPS Excavating in Williams drives a bulldozer along a fire line near a multimillion-dollar home in the Timberland Acres subdivision.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Charlie Hoag wets down the Sweet Corn Antiques store in Linden, which along with Pinedale and Clay Springs, was evacuated.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A tired Kenny Young and Larry Bear of Northwest Fire and Rescue try to stay awake after a night shift in the Clay Springs area.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Jason Foust of the Avra Valley Fire Department watches flames consume juniper trees near a girls' camp in Aripine.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Steve Leitzell of Apache Junction Fire District spends the early hours of Monday morning hosing down some hot spots in the Timberland Acres subdivision, where 94 homes were destroyed by the fires.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Dave La Tour of Northwest Fire removes hot debris from a home in the Fool's Hollow area near Linden, west of Show Low.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

With the Rodeo Fire and smoke looming behind her, Show Low resident Mary Gordon packs up personal belongings before evacuating.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

National Guardsman and sheriff's deputies stop residents from Show Low trying to head south on U.S. 60 and direct them to turn back and head for a new evacuation center in Eagar, 48 miles to the east.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A Pinedale home burns in this dramatic glimpse of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Northwest Fire and Rescue's Melanie O'Daniel, left, and Jackie Janton spray foam on the house of Aripine resident Harry Newman as fire approaches. The house was saved after a back burn.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

Task leader Dave La Tour of Northwest Fire and Rescue surveys hot spots in Timberland Acres outside Show Low, Ariz.

The Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002

A truck sits next to a house that still smolders in the Fool's Hollow residential area of Linden, a town just west of Show Low, Ariz.

Impostor poses as rodeo star from Marana in scam

A western Pennsylvania woman impersonated a rodeo star Sherry Cervi and set up a sham company to obtain 500 cell phones and $8,000 in saddles, according to her plea in a Pennsylvania federal court Wednesday.

David Fitzsimmons: This cowboy's been rodeoing since before chimichanga was invented

Down at the Arroyo Cafe, Preston Surface, whose name sounds like a fertilizer, was telling us about the time he was doing standup at the Chuckle Barn in Willcox and how he unwisely mentioned the bumper sticker he saw on a pickup parked out in front of that fine establishment.

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros: Bumps, bruises, blood 'part of game'

As a bullfighter, it's Dusty Tuckness' job to get up close to the bull and protect the fallen bull rider. This time, Tuckness takes a solid hit from Top Gun.