Firefighters from Yuma participate in simulated scenarios with firefighters in California

VIDEO: Local fire departments were put to the test by imitating real-life situations and scenarios. In Holtville on Friday, fire departments from Imperial Valley and Yuma participated in mock scenarios including air rescues, wildland training, and shelter deployments. Firefighters, new and existing, rehearsed in radio communications, hose deployments, and hand tools. Fire Chief of Holtville, Alex Silva, said these drills help build chemistry and readiness for the occasional curveball. "It's important because we have a lot of agencies in the valley and Yuma that we get together for fires and that's the only time we actually get to work with each other," Silva shared.
KYMA-DT CBS/NBC 11 Yuma

3 people displaced after attic fire in Scottsdale home

Multiple people are displaced after a ‘fast-moving attic fire’ at a Scottsdale home on Saturday afternoon. Around 4:30 p.m., Phoenix and Scottsdale fire crews were called to an attic fire at a home near 66th Street and Bell Road. Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby homes. Phoenix Fire says that the residents and their pets all exited the home before crews arrived. “Our firefighters right now are performing salvage and overhaul trying to protect as much of the residents’ possessions as possible,” said Captain Kim Ragsdale, Public Information Officer with the Phoenix Fire Department. “We’re also checking for any hot spots. We want to make sure that the fire is out and we don’t have a rekindle into the evening hours.” No injuries were reported.
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

Range Fire near Florence burns 1,100+ acres; 85% contained

A wildfire continues to burn outside of a small Pinal County town this weekend. According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, the Range Fire started on Saturday and has burned 1,183 acres near the Arizona National Guard Weapons Training Range along State Route 79, just outside of Florence. In an update on Sunday evening, officials said that warm weather has increased fire activity and pushed it east off the Arizona National Guard Training Range onto State Trust lands. The fire was 85% contained as of 8 p.m. Sunday and will continue to be monitored by aircraft. Officials said that due to safety reasons, crews had to wait for the fire to come out of the National Guard area before they could fight the flames. The department says 54 people are working to put out the blaze.
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

Pilots in Arizona prepare for 2024 peak wildfire season

VIDEO: As the weather warms up again, the peak of wildfire season is just beginning and pilots with the Western Pilot Service are getting ready to take to the skies and help fight fires from the air. According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, more than 180,000 acres burned statewide in 2023. Approximately 71% of all of Arizona fires were human-caused. Beryl Shears, the president and primary owner of Western Pilot Service, hopes people will be responsible. “They need to listen to the authorities, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State Forestry,” Shears said. “Clear space around the home is the primary thing. If they can clear that brush away, those people that are at risk, near the forest, near the woodland, anywhere cleared away and have a safe space around their home.
KNXV-TV ABC 15 Phoenix

Fire reported at ASU’s Sun Devil Hall in Tempe

The ASU fire marshal responded to a fire in Sun Devil Hall on Wednesday night. The fire was reported at 9:14 p.m. and was put out soon after. It was started by a desktop computer in room 162 at Sun Devil Hall, where it was quickly dealt with. According to an ASU spokesperson, officials do not know exactly how or why the computer fire started. No one was injured by the incident. The ASU fire marshal is currently investigating the situation.
The State Press

Two Prescribed Burns Set For The Flagstaff Area

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management is planning two prescribed burns next week near Flagstaff. On Monday, 200 acres will be treated on the Walnut Project, which is eight miles east of Flagstaff and one mile south of Interstate-40, near Walnut Canyon. This burn is a continuation of a 450-acre burn project that started in October. Smoke could affect I-40 and nearby communities. The second burn will take place Tuesday north of Interstate-40, 11 miles northeast of Flagstaff and about four miles south of Doney Park. Fire crews will burn 150 acres called the Turkey Hill Prescribed Fire. Both projects consist of Ponderosa pine and fine fuel components. Winds could push smoke off to the northeast, away from Doney Park and I-40.
Great Circle Media