Scottsdale leaders urge caution as extended dry season stokes wildfire concerns

PHOENIX — Scottsdale leaders are reminding residents and workers to be cautious as wildfire risks remain high in the city during an extended dry season.

The East Valley city’s expansive open areas and preserves combined with a lack of moisture have produced good conditions for blazes, Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.

Shannon added that wildfire season has expanded significantly in recent years, as evidenced by the recent devastating blazes in California and Arizona ones such as the Horton Fire near Payson.

“It’s year-round now and the fuel systems are slightly different, but the invasive species and then the native plants that overgrow in our open spaces are a huge concern,” Shannon said. “So we really have to manage those fuels proactively.”

Wildfire risks: Scottsdale being proactive

Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, who was sworn in Tuesday, has tasked Shannon with reviewing the city’s wildfire prevention strategies in response to the recent fires.

Shannon will review Scottsdale’s current fire prevention procedures, training, community education programs and emergency response protocols.

“We’re going to be very proactive this year,” Shannon said. “It’s not just our contractors, it’s folks doing what we need them to do, which is providing defendable spaces for their homes and just knowing how to do that safely. So we can do that with education as well.”

Even so, Shannon isn’t expecting a similar rash of fires like what the Los Angeles area is experiencing.

Differing topographies and wind patterns don’t lend themselves to the same hazards.

“We always have to be ready for when weather changes and certainly there’s elements of climate that are always a wild card,” Shannon said.

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