PHOTO: Now that the Payson Town Council has passed a Firewise code — it’s time to clear up the tangles of brush and thickets of trees that could set the town on fire if a nearby megafire pours a rain of embers down on Payson. But there’s a problem. Not enough manpower. The town recently had to hire outside help to clear up a centrally located property. This chunk of land would have provided a gateway for flames to march up from Phoenix Street over Highway 260, then up into Alpine Heights and the rest of town. “This area is a very vulnerable area for us with its high concentration of heavy vegetation,” said Kevin McCully, Payson’s fuels management officer. Money wasn’t the issue. McCully had a state grant to cover costs. He had the will to get it done — it was clear from satellite maps the property could fuel or freeze a fire.