Arizona wildfire activity outpacing 2023, figures show

PHOENIX - We’re only halfway through summer, and wildfires continue to ignite throughout the state.

Worse yet, forecasts call for things to get worse.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says so far, 173,000 acres have burned statewide. That translates to about 270 square miles, or half the size of Phoenix.

At the same time in 2023, 106,541 acres were burned.

Meanwhile, the total number of fires in 2024 stands so far at 1,202, of which 260 were sparked by lightning, and 942 were human-caused.

"There’s really not one area of the state that’s not touched by fire at this point," said Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. "If we continue to see the monsoon storms rolling in with no precipitation, we will continue to see more starts across the state."

The National Interagency Fire Center has created maps that show the fire potential outlook. For July, the western and southern portions of Arizona could see above-normal chances for fire, and by August, that potential grows eastward into the Phoenix area, and continues to spread south and east by September.

Arizonans affected by wildfire speaks out

A month ago, the Rose Fire destroyed seven homes and 15 buildings near Wickenburg.

"It was so fast, and when I first saw it, it started going up the hill," Jacque Combs said. "And then I told my husband ‘if it starts going down, we’re in trouble,’ and the wind shifted."

Combs, who lives in Morristown, said she was in her pajamas when and she and her husband evacuated. When she returned to her home, she saw charred brush just 100 feet from her shed.

"I’m just watching the fires now pop up all the time, and it’s unbelievable what Arizona is going through right now," said Combs. "I’m very worried about people dragging chains, throwing out cigarette butts, trash."

Combs said after seeing the devastation in Morristown, she and her husband are preparing. They have packed a suitcase, and they now spend every weekend cleaning debris and brush from around their home.

"I won’t be caught in that position again," Combs said. "It’s terrifying."