Fire season is just around the corner and Verde Valley residents should strive to be more prepared than ever.
On May 20 of last year, a fire began just north of Slide Rock State Park. Drier-than-normal conditions plus wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph turned what could have been a small, contained blaze into a major inferno, burning 21,227 acres in Oak Creek Canyon and atop the Coconino Plateau. It was the largest-ever fire in the history of the Coconino National Forest and second-largest in the history of Coconino County.
The 16-day blaze closed down State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon, forcing Verde Valley and Flagstaff commuters to detour to Interstate 17. Smoke filled the sky in the day and settled into the Verde Valley at night, making it hard to breathe in the thick, sometimes toxic haze. The U.S. Forest Service closed access points from the switchbacks to Midgley Bridge for months afterward, meaning Grand Canyon tourists who made day trips to nearby Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona opted for literally greener pastures, devastating the small economy in the canyon and severely affecting Verde Valley businesses.
No buildings were lost and no one was killed, but we have not always been so lucky.
On June 30, 2013, 19 firefighters with the Granite Mountain Hotshots team were killed when the Yarnell Hill Fire overran their position. All the firefighters who died served with the Prescott Fire Department. It was the highest wildland firefighter death toll in Arizona history and third-highest in American history. “Yarnell 19” memorials and signs are constant reminders that wildfires can turn deadly in an instant.
Four years ago, the Wallow Fire struck in rural eastern Arizona and spread into the largest ever fire in the state, burning 538,049 acres, an area twice the size of all five boroughs of New York City. Hundreds of firefighters, including many of our own, spent weeks battling the fire.
The Brins Fire was nine years ago, charring Brins Mesa, Wilson Mountain and Oak Creek Canyon for 10 days. The treeline atop Wilson Mountain is still sparse from the blaze nearly a decade ago.
This fire season, be hyper-vigilant. If you see smoke, call 911 immediately. Don’t build campfires in areas under fire restrictions. If someone throws a lit cigarette from a car window, don’t just curse, call the Coconino or Yavapai county sheriff’s offices and report the license plate. Don’t smoke on forest land and if you see someone smoking on a trail, politely inform them of the dangers and ask them to extinguish their cigarette.
Contact the Verde Valley Fire District, Clarkdale Fire District, Jerome Fire Department or Cottonwood Fire Department now and have your home evaluated for fire risk. The fire marshal can advise you what changes to your landscaping and brush will keep your home safe. There is still plenty of time to make small changes that could keep your home safe and standing.
It is up to our community as a whole to prevent another tragedy this fire season.
