Being prepared for wildfires isn't just for rural communities. Firefighters are also urging Tucson residents to be prepared.
Tucson averages more than 1,000 brush fires every year, so east side resident, Penny Nickels-Larkin, took it upon herself to become a Firewise Assessor. By attending a two day course she now has the knowledge to make her neighborhood a safer place.
“We live in a topographic area that can catch on fire and spread just like that and you don't want that to happen,” said Nickels-Larkin.
The Hidden Valley neighborhood near Sabino Canyon has around 300 homes, 10% of them are on the way to becoming Firewise, by simply clearing excess vegetation, clearing gutters and "limbing up" trees around the house.