Every year, come May and June, weather conditions converge to heighten the risk of wildfire – it gets hot, dry and windy. Add these conditions to weeds, brush, branches and trees, and all it takes is a spark to ignite fire’s rage.
The City of Prescott takes this threat seriously. The Prescott Fire Department has already begun its annual fuels mitigation and education efforts, providing free fire assessments to residents who call 918-777-1700. These assessments consist of a review of your property to determine which mitigation efforts best protect your home. You’ll learn how to create defensible space, and once you do, the Fire Division provides curbside chipping for brush disposal. More information on creating defensible space is available at www.prescott-az.gov
The city also reaches out to the community to work with other wildfire mitigation groups. We are active participants in the Prescott Area Wildland Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC), a non-profit group chartered in 1990 by the City of Prescott and Yavapai County to establish Firewise communities.
PAWUIC is comprised of federal, state, county and city agencies that work with volunteers, businesses and community leaders to mitigate the threat of wildfire and promote forest health. Member agencies include Prescott National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Forestry, Prescott Yavapai Tribe, Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, and 12 fire departments, including Prescott Fire. The group meets monthly to coordinate activities around priorities such as:
- A long-term solution to forest thinning and fuel reduction. The number of trees per acre has grown from 40-60 per acre in the late 1800s to today’s 400-600 trees per acre. Such overgrowth jeopardizes the health of our forests and creates significant brush and ladder fuels. If ignited, this undergrowth can easily consume larger trees and lead to crown fires which move very rapidly and are difficult to extinguish.
- Utilizing biomass generated from fuels reduction and forest health projects. The city is exploring biomass conversion as a way to extract trees and convert them into marketable sources of fuel. However, significant work remains before all agencies come together to establish an economically- and environmentally-sound biomass conversion plant in or around Prescott.
- Information and education on how to reduce wildland fire danger. These efforts include an annual EXPO, meetings, training, helping communities gain Firewise certification, media relations and maintaining a regional website.
- Securing a source of grant funding to help fire departments reduce fuels and mitigate other fire dangers.
- Training scholarships for area firefighters at the Arizona Wildfire Academy.
PAWUIC’s monthly forum is scheduled for 8 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month in the Freeman Building at the Prescott Rodeo Grounds, 840 Rodeo Dr. The public is welcome to attend and individuals may want to consider the rewards of becoming a volunteer.
Another way the city manages the wildfire threat is through services provided by the United States Agriculture Department (USDA) Forest Service. The Forest Service currently maintains a 20-person wildfire fighting team called the Prescott Hotshots Crew at the Prescott Municipal Airport, which exceeds the number of daily fire response personnel at the five Prescott fire stations. This crew is one of approximately 100 interagency teams of multi-skilled professional firefighters around the country. Since 1973, when the Prescott Hotshot Crew first received Type I status, it has upgraded equipment, technology and training, all while giving wildfire suppression top priority. Prescott’s 20-member crew has actually exceeded the experience, training and physical fitness required of a Type 1 crew to satisfy Type 1-PLUS requirements. The Prescott Hotshot Crew is qualified to use Pulaskis, chainsaws, fusees, pumps, engines and helicopters.
The Prescott Hotshot Crew is configured with a full complement of 20 personnel – one superintendent, two captains, two squad bosses, two lead crewmembers and 13 seasonal employees. Personnel are available 24/7 during fire season, typically, the six-month period between April and September in Prescott. In addition to wildfire suppression, the crew sometimes provides search and rescue and disaster response assistance. It also works on thinning, prescribed burns, habitat improvement and trail construction projects.
The next Prescott Today Show, premiering at 6 p.m., June 2 on Access 64 and www.prescottmediacenter.org, will feature the Prescott Hotshot Crew. Please tune in, and if you have any questions regarding the city’s commitment to wildfire mitigation, please send them to me at PrescottToday@gmail.com. QCBN
By Harry B. Oberg
Harry B. Oberg is the mayor of the City of Prescott.
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