Pilots in Arizona prepare for 2024 peak wildfire season

VIDEO: As the weather warms up again, the peak of wildfire season is just beginning and pilots with the Western Pilot Service are getting ready to take to the skies and help fight fires from the air. According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, more than 180,000 acres burned statewide in 2023. Approximately 71% of all of Arizona fires were human-caused. Beryl Shears, the president and primary owner of Western Pilot Service, hopes people will be responsible. “They need to listen to the authorities, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State Forestry,” Shears said. “Clear space around the home is the primary thing. If they can clear that brush away, those people that are at risk, near the forest, near the woodland, anywhere cleared away and have a safe space around their home.
KNXV-TV ABC 15 Phoenix

Fire reported at ASU’s Sun Devil Hall in Tempe

The ASU fire marshal responded to a fire in Sun Devil Hall on Wednesday night. The fire was reported at 9:14 p.m. and was put out soon after. It was started by a desktop computer in room 162 at Sun Devil Hall, where it was quickly dealt with. According to an ASU spokesperson, officials do not know exactly how or why the computer fire started. No one was injured by the incident. The ASU fire marshal is currently investigating the situation.
The State Press

Two Prescribed Burns Set For The Flagstaff Area

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is planning two prescribed burns next week near Flagstaff. On Monday, 200 acres will be treated on the Walnut Project, which is eight miles east of Flagstaff and one mile south of Interstate-40, near Walnut Canyon. This burn is a continuation of a 450-acre burn project that started in October. Smoke could affect I-40 and nearby communities. The second burn will take place Tuesday north of Interstate-40, 11 miles northeast of Flagstaff and about four miles south of Doney Park. Fire crews will burn 150 acres called the Turkey Hill Prescribed Fire. Both projects consist of Ponderosa pine and fine fuel components. Winds could push smoke off to the northeast, away from Doney Park and I-40.
Great Circle Media

$4.9 million helibase opens near Star Valley to help mitigate wildfires

PHOTOS: The latest state-of-the-art helibase recently opened in northern Arizona to help with wildfire mitigation efforts, officials announced Tuesday. The $4.9 million facility is located near Star Valley, 7 miles east of Payson. It will aid in supporting the Payson Ranger District’s crisis strategy for reducing wildfire risk and serve as a logistical hub, according to the U.S. Forest Service. “The helibase has a three-fold mission: fire suppression, supporting fuel reduction projects and supporting land management activities,” Daniel Whatley, the Payson Ranger District fire management officer, said in a press release. “During a wildfire, helicopters deliver water, equipment and crews to suppress or reduce the spread of a wildfire.” The facility will be able to handle up to three helicopters at a time, helping the Tonto National Forest better fight fires.
KTAR-FM 92.3 Glendale

Electric scooter sparks fire at Mesa apartment

A seemingly common item caused a large apartment fire in Mesa on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Mesa Fire & Medical Department, an electric scooter caught on fire inside a living room at an apartment near Country Club Drive and Brown Road around 1 p.m. The flames quickly spread inside the unit. The fire was then upgraded to a first-alarm, with more firefighters and resources requested to battle the blaze. Crews were forced to cut a vent hole into the roof to put out the fire. Crews contained the flames to the unit, which sustained heavy damage. “There was a big fireload. Electric scooters burn very, very fast and hot. We did have some of those issues to deal with,” said Capt. Chris Tiller with Mesa Fire & Medical Department. “The holes that we cut in the roof are ventilation. It’s to get the smoke and the heat up and out of the unit we’re in.”
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

Northwest Fire District hiring, but seeing far fewer applicants

Marvin Snodgrass has worked for Northwest Fire District for seven out of his ten years in the firefighting industry. He’s a firefighter engineer and runs the academy as a trainer. He also conducts engineer testing and the engineer academies. “It gives you that opportunity to give back to the community,” he said. In 2021, NWFD said they made offers to 15 people and in 2022 they didn’t have an academy. They said in 2023 they made offers to 27 people and this year are hoping to get 15 new people. “When you have that big field to choose from, you can get some really good applicants,” Snodgrass said. However, he has seen a difference in the amount of applicants to the academy. In 2016, he said the district capped their applicants at one thousand people and actually hit that cap.
KGUN-TV ABC 9 Tucson