Wildland Fire Preparedness: We All Play a Part

Living in northern Arizona, destructive wildland fire is always on our minds. This year has been warmer than normal with below average precipitation. I want to share a few updates on what’s being done to make sure that Flagstaff is as prepared as possible should we be faced with such a fire.

A large part of Flagstaff’s strategy for protection from destructive wildland fire involves many partners engaged in the planning of forest thinning treatments, prescribed fire, and wildfire response. Flagstaff Fire Department’s (FFD) Wildland Fire Management Program and the Coconino National Forest coordinate response efforts year-round to keep our community as safe and as prepared as possible. The coalition of those committed to helping keep our communities safe also includes Summit Fire and Medical District, Highlands Fire District, Coconino County Emergency Management, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, National Park Service, Arizona State Parks, Arizona State Land Department, Northern Arizona University, and Arizona Public Service.

The city council requested and received an update on wildland fire preparedness at our Feb. 18, 2025 meeting. Here’s the link: https://tr.ee/wildfirepresentation and the presentation begins at 2:18:00. The FFD employs two prevention staff, nine wildland staff, six command staff, and an additional 90 firefighters. The nine full-time Wildland Fire Management Program staff have significant advanced wildland fire qualifications and experience and every firefighter is trained and qualified in wildland fire as well. The presentation includes information from the city’s Water Services and Sustainability Divisions and Police Department as well as Coconino County.

We all have a part to play in decreasing the risks of wildfire in our neighborhoods and out in the forest. First, ensure that you have made your home and yard as fire resistant as possible. Here are some home hardening suggestions: rake and remove all pine needles in your yard; remove pine needles and other debris from your roof and gutters; cut back branches that are too close or that hang over your roof; move firewood away from your house; and replace screens on your outdoor vents with ones with a smaller mesh to prevent embers from getting through. I invited my neighbors over for a wildfire assessment at my house and subsequently received a report with suggestions for additional measurers I can take to continue making my home as fire resistant as possible. If you’d like a free assessment, reach out to Mark Adams, Wildland Community Risk Reduction Specialist at 928-213-2510 or at mark.adams@flagstaffaz.gov. The measures we take around our homes are critical and, as I found, many of them don’t require huge investments of time or money.

I want to emphasize the importance of signing up for emergency notifications. By signing up at coconino.az.gov/ready, you’ll make sure that you receive notifications about emergencies affecting you and your neighbors. If you wish, you can give additional information about members in your household (including pets) to assist emergency responders. All information you provide is private and your information isn’t shared outside of emergency response.

I’d be doing our community a disservice if I didn’t acknowledge the negative impacts that federal staffing cuts will have on northern Arizona. Flagstaff is surrounded by the largest Ponderosa pine forest in the world plus eight National Parks and Monuments within a two hour drive. Because public lands management is integral to our catastrophic wildland fire management, and because our neighboring agency partners were already understaffed and underfunded, every cut potentially puts northern Arizona communities at additional risk—regardless of whether wildland fire positions are impacted. Many of us are concerned about these impacts, so please take a moment to share your thoughts with our federal elected leaders.

As mayor, I remain committed to keeping forest health and the potential for destructive wildland fires top priorities. I know the entire city council does as well and I invite you to join with us in helping to make sure our community is always as prepared as possible.

This column originally appeared in the March 2025 edition of the Flagstaff Business News.