“We can expect an active fire season.”
Yavapai Firewise Board Chairman Dave Soto said Firewise is a nationally recognized program that helps assist homeowners with reducing hazardous vegetation that could lead to the spread of fires threatening their homes and property.
Yavapai County has the highest number of Firewise certified neighborhoods in the state. The certification program is overseen by the National Fire Protection Association, better known as Firewise USA, but Firewise is managed at the state and local level.
“Although retired, I devote much of my time to this organization,” Soto said about working with Yavapai Firewise for the past three years.
When he started, there were several dozen people in attendance. Now, that number has soared and about 100 people showed up for the April 1 meeting to see how they could help.
“Without a doubt, the program is successful,” he said.
While most of Yavapai County’s Firewise program has been in the Quad Cities area, they are gaining more interest in the Verde Valley. Firewise also works with homeowners’ associations to decrease fire risks and HOAs in the Verde Valley have expressed the need for assistance.
“We are building the infrastructure to reach other areas in the county,” he said.
Soto, who retired from the Los Angeles Fire Department, said he is thrilled that the Arizona Community Foundation saw that Firewise needed funding. He said the donation will be used for office resources, video/audio equipment and outreach awareness. He praised Gary Worob, director of the Greater Prescott Outdoors Fund, for having the ability to help.
“People are realizing that we need to protect our environment,” said Worob. “We need to make a bigger impact than we have.”
The Greater Prescott Outdoors Fund contributes to other nonprofit organizations as well, such as the Highlands Center for Natural History, Natural History Institute and Museum of Indigenous People.
“We know the community, so we give to deserving organizations. We don’t wait for them to come to us,” he said.
Robert Rickey with the National Weather Service also spoke at the gathering, noting that drought and below-average snowmelt this winter has left Arizona susceptible to fire. He said last winter recorded the 30th least amount of snowmelt, from records dating to 1898.
“There has been less than 50% of the average snowpack across the area and the snowfall in the White Mountains was dismal,” he said. “We can expect an active fire season.”
Meanwhile, the weather forecast for April and May calls for drier conditions than usual, but an early and above-normal monsoon season is expected, said Rickey.
Community members also shared local wildfire prevention efforts. Tom Atkins, a volunteer for Friends of Acker Park, spoke about how the group has reduced fire risk at the park by removing undergrowth. QCBN
By Stan Bindell, QCBN
Photo by Stan Bindell: Gary Worob with Greater Prescott Outdoor Fund, Hector Ramirez with Arizona Community Foundation and Dave Soto with Firewise display the giant check intended to boost local fire prevention efforts.
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