AZ Wildfire Potential 'Very Extreme' In 2022: State Fire Officials

ARIZONA — State fire officials are warning that catastrophic fires will be possible during the 2022 fire season, as Arizona experiences it 23rd year of drought.

“This year’s wildfire potential will be very extreme,” said John Truett, fire management officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, during a Thursday news conference.

Contributing to the extreme wildfire potential this season is increased vegetation fed by the plentiful rain during last summer's monsoon, as well higher-than-normal rainfall in some parts of the state in December. Over the past three months, which have been drier than normal, that vegetation has dried out, making it excellent fuel for wildfires.

Many of the state's most devastating wildfires have been caused by humans, Truett said.

During this week, Wildfire Awareness Week, Arizonans are advised to take some simple precautions to help prevent wildfires that have the potential to cause destruction and death:

• Ensure that your trailer chains don’t drag, which can cause sparks when the chains make contact with the road.
• Make sure that vehicles and tires are in good condition before driving, and never pull into tall grass at the side of the road. Some large wildfires over the past few years started with vehicle fires that spread to wild lands.
• Douse and stir campfires and ensure they are cold before leaving them.
• Don’t burn anything on windy days.

"Most of these fires are human-caused and are avoidable,” Gov. Doug Ducey said during the news conference.

Arizonans should also be aware that flying drones near wildfires is illegal and dangerous.

Those who are planning to spend time doing activities on wild Arizona lands should be prepared by understanding the weather forecast and potential fire fuels in the area, advised Aaron Casem, fire prevention officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Anyone building a fire while camping or doing activities on Arizona land should have the necessary tools to extinguish fires, he said.

Anyone who owns a home adjacent to undeveloped lands should create 100 feet of defensible space in all directions, remove combustible materials from that space and have a go-bag ready with clothes, medications and other necessary items in case they need to evacuate.

“The threat is real and present and we must remain vigilant,” Ducey said.

He added that 500,000 acres burned in Arizona during the 2021 fire season and 900,000 acres burned the year before that.

During the news conference Ducey touted the state's new Healthy Forests Initiative, which trains inmates of Arizona prisons to clear vegetation that could become fuel for wildfires. The first 100 participants of the initiative graduated Wednesday.

Ducey also talked up his administration's proposed budget, which includes $36 million dollars for the second phase of the Healthy Forests Initiative.

The initiative is meant to do double-duty by helping those who are incarcerated gain skills that could help them find jobs after their release, and by helping Arizona get a head start on combatting wildfires when staffing remains a challenge in both the public and private sectors.

Fire fighting agencies across the western United States are experiencing moderate to severe staffing shortages, Truett said. And those agencies, whether they're local, state or federal are all in competition with one another for employees.

"We just don’t have enough people willing to do the job," Truett said.

But Arizona is working to try to fill open positions, he said. Ducey added that the state would work to try to get better pay for Arizona's firefighters.

“The potential’s there for a catastrophic fire season,” Truett said.