Catastrophic wildfire will hit Arizona, and we're dangerously unprepared

Yahoo

07-05-2025

Arizona's intense summer heat has always carried the potential for wildfire disaster. But in 2025, the threat we face is not theoretical. It's inevitable.
Somewhere across our vast, beautiful state — maybe in the forests around Flagstaff, the wildland-urban interfaces in Cave Creek or the brush country near Payson — a spark will catch, the wind will howl, and a firestorm will erupt.
I cannot tell you precisely where it will happen or how much devastation it will cause. But I can say with certainty that this summer, Arizona will confront a catastrophic wildfire.
And we are dangerously unprepared for it.
Across the Valley, neighborhoods have pushed further into high-risk wildland areas — places filled with dense, dry vegetation that's been hammered by drought​. Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Estrella Mountain Ranch, Apache Junction and San Tan Valley all sit atop dangerous fuel beds.
Meanwhile, across Arizona the firefighting forces tasked with protecting communities like these are often undermanned and underfunded, victims of years of inaction.
Arizona fire districts struggle to hire enough staff
Arizona's fire districts — particularly those in rural and semi-rural areas — are in crisis. Many cannot afford enough full-time firefighters to maintain coverage around the clock.
Delayed response times have become the norm, not the exception​. In some areas, it can take more than an hour for help to arrive in a life-threatening emergency. For fires, that's the difference between containment and catastrophe.
Voters rejected a critical funding solution, Proposition 310, in 2022. Since then, the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona and fire district leaders have asked lawmakers for help — only to be met with recognition of the problem but no real action​.
Fortunately, legislators like Rep. David Marshall are now working to find results that protect the Arizonans we all proudly serve.
The consequences of delay are predictable and dire. We've already seen near-disasters, such as the 2020 fires in Cave Creek, where private firefighting services were quickly overwhelmed and only mutual aid from nearby districts prevented a tragedy​.
We've seen the toll that shifting winds can take — from the Rodeo-Chediski Fire near Show Low in 2002 to the Granite Mountain Hotshots' tragic loss outside Prescott in 2013​.
Lawmakers are hosting hearings to discuss reforms
This year, Arizona will once again test its luck. Without serious investment in people, equipment, aerial firefighting capabilities and strategic fire mitigation, luck may not be enough.
There is hope on the horizon. The newly formed House Fire Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Rep. Marshall, offers a real opportunity to tackle these issues head-on​.
A public hearing was recently held in Phoenix. Others in Payson, Prescott and Flagstaff will bring together firefighters, local officials, legislators and citizens to confront our wildfire vulnerabilities and discuss reforms — from fire district funding to creating a more robust statewide wildfire response agency​.
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Arizona's firefighters will play an active role in shaping this conversation. We will push for practical reforms: more permanent aerial firefighting assets, modernized mitigation efforts and a commitment to funding the frontline defenders who will stand between wildfire and our homes, businesses and families.
But let's not kid ourselves: the solutions this committee explores will not arrive in time to protect us this summer.
It won't stop wildfires this year, so prepare now
In the meantime, we must acknowledge the reality we face. Arizona is standing at the edge of a firestorm, with too few firefighters, too few resources and too little time.
To Arizona's lawmakers, residents and business owners, I say this: prepare now. Support your local fire districts. Clear defensible space around homes and businesses.
Understand evacuation plans. Pressure your elected leaders to prioritize public safety over political expediency.
And know that when the call comes — as it surely will — Arizona's professional firefighters will answer. As we always have. As we always will. But without the tools we need, even our best efforts may not be enough.
It's not a question of if. It's a question of when. The time for serious action is long overdue.
Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona President Dan Freiberg has been a firefighter since 2001. Reach him on Facebook @PFFAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona is not prepared for wildfires, firefighter says | Opinion