PHOTO: Vehicle, brush and structure fires have been on the rise in the Kingman area over the past few months. While dry and hot conditions are contributing to more brush fires, Kingman Fire Department Chief Jake Rhoades said he can’t pinpoint a particular factor behind the variety of burns: “It’s just busy.”
In fact, people are even asking the chief if Kingman has an arsonist.
“That’s not the case,” he said. “It’s just a busy season for us. This past month, in the last week, we’re 75 calls above normal compared to the weekly average. This month we’re trending to have over 800 calls. It’s just a busy, busy time. It’s not COVID-19 related, it’s not any singular thing; it just seems to be busy.”
The chief said fires are typically on the rise during this time of year because there isn’t a lot of moisture. Pair that with the growth of flora over the spring, and the area is experiencing dry conditions with no shortage of fuel for fires.