The recent Cedar Fire and Cody Fire were stark reminders that wildfires can happen at any time. The first responders and fire professionals all believe it is not a question of if, but when, the next wildfire will start in our area. There are several different fuels that would aid in the spread when we face the threat of fire again. Unfortunately, five homes were lost during the recent fires in and around Oracle. It was terrible for all, but it could have been worse.
“Every year, 9 out of 10 wildland fires are started by humans. So be the ‘one’ and help us and do your part to prevent wildfires in Arizona. In 2024, 2,162 fires burned more than 280,000 acres on state, federal and tribal lands. Of those fires, more than 1,400 were determined to be human-caused.”
“The Department of Forestry and Fire Management provides fire protection to 22-million acres of state and private lands. DFFM also provides suppression on other land jurisdictions through cooperative agreements. The agency maintains in-house fire command and firefighting capabilities, including engines, an inmate wildland fire hand crew program, and the Phoenix Crew, a Type 2 IA hand crew. Along with internal resources, DFFM has access to 2,700 wildland firefighters and 3,000 pieces of equipment from local and federal cooperating agencies.
“There is no ‘wildfire season’ anymore in Arizona. Fires can happen year-round. We stress the importance of prevention. We all need to work together to reduce wildfire risk across our great state…