PHOENIX — With the summer months ahead, the risk of a wildfire goes up. That's why during Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week, officials are getting the word out about ways to prevent fires in our community.
The Scottsdale Fire Department says it starts with creating a defensible space around your home. That means no dead branches, overgrown bushes or grasses within 15 feet.
You'll also want to keep the gutters and roof clear of any leaves. Keep a garden hose, with the nozzle attached, outside.
"We're doing the same thing on our roadways up here in North Scottsdale," said Scottsdale Fire Captain Dave Folio. "We're creating defensible spaces for us. We're doing fuel mitigation projects where we thin out the roads. That way if we have a vehicle that's going up the road and they're dragging a chain, please don't do that. Be really careful with dragging your chains because they throw sparks out into the desert."
APS crews tell ABC15 that they also create defensible spaces around power lines.
"We are doing our part to create defensible space around our poles, clear vegetation, maintaining our transmission right aways such as this one," said Aaron Stafford with APS. "We don't want anything growing up into the lines that can cause a wildfire or cause a power outage."
Last year was a busy time for wildfires in Arizona. The biggest in 2022 was the Tunnel Fire that burned thousands of acres north of Flagstaff.
According to data from the Department of Forestry and Fire Management, 80% of fires were caused by humans.
