The White Mountain communities honor the men and women who voluntarily placed themselves in danger to protect the area from the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, the most devastating wildfire in Arizona history. Through the efforts of firefighters and support personnel, the community survived, and a burnout operation led by Rick Lupe proved especially important when four hotshot crews worked thirty-six continuous hours to create a fourteen-mile barrier that stopped the fire's advance toward Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, and Hon-Dah. The fire burned 460,182 acres, forced the evacuation of 50,000 people, and destroyed 491 structures, including 465 homes, while 2,000 homes were saved from imminent destruction. The response involved four Type-1 Incident Management Teams, 6,600 firefighters, twelve air tankers, twenty-six helicopters, 245 fire engines, eighty-nine bulldozers, and ninety-five water trucks, with federal funds totaling $43,000,000. Private citizens, municipalities, and businesses also contributed time, money, food, and services. Richard Glenn Lupe, born May 18, 1960, died June 19, 2003, from severe injuries received while working a control burn on Sawtooth Mountain in June 2003 and was remembered as a true American hero and one of the nation's greatest firefighters who died in the line of duty.