Dear Friends,

As summer approaches, we must remember that fire is a reality in Arizona at this time of year. This year, fire season is expected to last longer than normal, from about mid-May to late July. For lower elevations, including Arizona’s deserts, grasslands, and riparian areas, this year’s fire season is expected to be more dangerous than normal. Higher elevations are still at risk, but winter snows have helped to reduce the threat by some degree.

In the past few years, we’ve made progress against devastating mega-fires in our state, with significant help from Arizonans. Everyone plays a part in fire prevention. As this fire season approaches, take some steps when you are enjoying our open spaces. For instance:

• Make sure not to throw cigarette butts out a car window.
• If you’ve been driving for a while and need to pull over, look for an area that’s clear of grass.
• If you’re camping, only light campfires in approved areas, and before you leave, make sure you’ve put the fire all the way out.
• Use common sense when dealing with items that could potentially cause a fire.

If you live in areas of our state vulnerable to wildfires, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Ensure your house has defensible space around it, cleared of brush
• Have an emergency/evacuation plan
• Use the radio, TV, and www.az211.gov to stay informed about Arizona wildfires.

Last year, man-caused fires were down significantly from previous years. Arizonans are doing their part to prevent devastating fires; we need to keep up that success.

The state is taking steps to help guard against destructive wildfires. Arizona’s 2-1-1 system continues to become a better and better resource for Arizonans. The 2-1-1 website, www.az211.gov, contains helpful steps for making disaster kits and communications plans. During an emergency, not only does www.az211.gov have the latest information you would need to know about evacuations and emergency resources, but the system also goes live over the phone through a hotline you can reach by dialing 2-1-1.

The state has contracted firefighting planes and trained more than 300 inmates to fight fires. We’re also working hard on prevention, and have developed a Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forests, which we are implementing to help restore long-term health to our forest lands. But federal resources for fighting wildfire is still lacking – so we all must be as vigilant as possible to prevent wildfires from happening in the first place.