Dolores has been in the
wildland fire business since 1994. She started her career helping to manage and
mobilize Southwest Firefighter (SWFF) Type 2 crews with the US Forest Service
on the Santa Fe National Forest. She was an Engine Captain with the US Forest
Service on the Santa Fe National Forest, a Fire Prevention & Fire Look-Out
Supervisor on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, and an Aircraft Dispatcher
at the Southwest Area Coordination Center before accepting her current position
at BLM
Arizona.
Wildfires can happen year-round in Arizona. The largest
and most devastating typically occur between May and mid-July. You’ll often
hear the timeframe referred to as “fire season” due to the peak intensity and
high visibility of wildfires. Hot dry weather combined with accumulations of
dry, drought stressed vegetation, when exposed to a flame, spark, or a heat
source can create a raging inferno, threatening homes, communities, and some of
our treasured landscapes in its path.
The most treasured item at risk whenever a wildfire
occurs is human life. Every wildfire
directly impacts not only the first responders and firefighters but the public
as well.
Those of us in Emergency (or in my case Wildfire)
Management take our roles very seriously. Public and emergency
responder/firefighter safety is a primary tenet and driving factor in
everything we do. We are first and foremost educators, helping the public get
the information they need to be prepared for whatever emergency they may face.
We also ensure that our first responders/firefighters
have all they need, so that they too are prepared for whatever they may
face. What’s required can often seem
daunting and at times discouraging. But
more often than not it is rewarding.
During this time of year we focus efforts on wildfire
awareness, preparedness and prevention. We
begin by asking a few simple questions, “Is your home or community at risk of
wildfire?” Typically followed by, “Are
you prepared?”
We look for communities
to get Firewise TM and gradually work toward becoming a Fire Adapted
Community by implementing techniques to give their homes and communities a fighting
chance against wildfire.
We encourage homeowners to begin the evaluation of their
home and landscaping, and to develop an Emergency Action Plan and an Emergency
Kit. Clearing gutters of dead leaves and
pine needles, as well as trimming back brush and tree limbs, and knowing where
you will go and what you need in case of an emergency is not only smart but
essential. All these actions not only
decrease the risk to the home and the homeowner, but also to the
firefighter/first responder. Reduce the
hazard, reduce the risk.
We further reduce the risk by preventing wildfires. More
than half of all wildfires in Arizona are caused by people and are often
preventable. The rest is caused by lightning, which is also typically
accompanied by higher humidity or rain, generally reducing the intensity of
wildfires started in those conditions.
As we have gone back to review location and causes of all
person caused fires within Arizona, we have seen a pattern. Many of our fires occur along the major roads
and highways. While most people see
carelessly tossed cigarettes as the cause here, we see that the major cause of
fire is dragging metal which can create sparks from trailer tow/safety chains,
flat tires and rims striking pavement, poorly secured exhaust systems, and metal hooks/buckles from tie-down straps.
Another major cause of wildfires is abandoned, unattended
or poorly extinguished campfires. Campfires are one of the main reasons most
public land managers choose to put Fire Restrictions in effect within the peak
of fire season. The purpose of Fire Restrictions is to limit or restrict
activities that can cause wildfires during the time of year when conditions can
lead to extreme fire behavior.
We are all in this together, Arizona. When we choose to
reduce the hazards we choose to reduce the risk to ourselves, our homes,
communities, neighbors, and first responders/firefighters. We choose to
protect, to be prudent and purposeful in our actions, and be prepared for
emergencies.
For more information on Arizona Firewise TM,
becoming a fire-adapted community, developing emergency action plans, fire restrictions
or fire prevention tips, visit:WildlandFire.AZ.gov.
Be sure to check out the Department of Emergency and
Military Affairs’ Wildfire Preparedness campaign, Have Their Backs.
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