PHOENIX --
It's been called the perfect storm for wildfire: first a hard freeze hit, which killed many large bushes and some trees; then the state received some rain, which gave birth to endless wild flowers and weeds; and now blazing temperatures are on the way.
"All the nice greenery is staring to dry out and now we are starting to see dry, brown, favorable fire season conditions," said Dave Wilson, of the Daisy Mountain Fire Department.
While residents can't control what Mother Natures plans to throw at them, they can prepare for it, Wilson said. That includes watching for sparks, not just with a careless cigarette but also your cars.
"Another big danger is disabled vehicles, as the weather heats up vehicles start to overheat and a lot of times people pull those vehicles right off the road way and right into taller brush. They don't expect the heat from the vehicle- the motor, the engine, the exhaust to ignite those light fuels under the vehicles," said Wilson.
And if you live near the desert, Wilson warns not to let nature come right up to your door. Instead he recommends keeping a 30-foot space around your home.
"That means clear all the light brush, trees, plants, any ground cover at least 30 feet from your home," said Wilson.
Tress, while shady, can work as a ladder for fires if their branches are too close.
"Fire will burn up right into that tree top and right up into your roof line and then your house is on fire," said Wilson.
The same goes for a block fence, which would normally serve as a fire barrier, unless you offer those flames a way over by not cutting low hanging tree limbs.
Another danger firefighters are facing this year when it comes to brush fires are fireworks this Fourth of July. It will be the first time people can set them off during the hot dry summer in Arizona.
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