Arizona firefighters urge communities to create defensible space and prepare evacuation routes ahead of time
Firefighters warn residents to prepare for fire season
Maintaining a defensible space and planning alternate escape routes are among the tips that firefighters say people should take to get ready for wildfire season. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has more.
PHOENIX - April 17 marked a Red Flag Warning day in parts of the state as agencies prepare for what they say will be a busy fire season.
Firefighters overseeing both rural and metro areas have some important reminders for people getting ready for fire season.
What you should know
Stage One fire restrictions are already in place in some rural parts of the state.
In Phoenix, firefighters want residents to never underestimate the power of wind and dry conditions, even on a small brush fire.
"We expect to see red flag conditions in the next couple of weeks or so," said Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Dept. of Forestry and Fire Management.
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The Department of Fire and Forestry Management said during a news conference on March 31 that they can tell the severity of conditions in the state by watching what happened when the Saddlebrooke Fire erupted as a string of 18 fires along a 20-mile stretch of State Route 79.
Big picture view:
Arizona firefighters are predicting an active season statewide after a dry winter and a windy start to spring.
Fires were reported in southern Arizona and Apache County on April 17.
"In years past, we could say it's usually off elevation or fuel type," said Davila. "This year, there's really no exception when it comes to fire activity. We are going to be busy across the state."
Why you should care:
One challenge: wildland urban interfacing communities are more common than ever before.
"Phoenix metro area is pushing out and pushing out every year," said Davila. "We're talking about areas like Buckeye and Tonopah, Wittman, the
Wickenburg area, any residential area that's now mingling with the wildland."
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Steps you can take to prepare
What you can do:
Creating a 30-foot area of defensible space around your home is the best way to prevent brush fire spread no matter where you live.
"There's dead vegetation. There's brush everywhere. Whether you're living on Camelback Mountain or you're living at Central and Indian School, absolutely, there's brush everywhere and we're getting into those warmer months where that is going to dry out. There's not a lot of water," said Phoenix Fire Department Captain Todd Keller.
Make sure to have more than one evacuation route on your radar as well.
"If you have a neighborhood that is kind of a wide-spanned area and it is heavy vegetation and there is one of what we call "means of egress" that is blocked through fire or through our units or fire apparatus units, have that second contingency plan that can get you out," said Keller.
Residents are also warned to watch for local burn bans and make sure they're permitted to conduct private burns.
"We've run on so many smoke calls already that are just private burns and we're wasting our resources running on these calls," said Davila.
Dig deeper:
Residents are asked to maintain that defensible space throughout the year and not just during the hottest months since brush fires can start year-round under the right conditions.