APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — Temperatures have been on a roller coaster lately with some snow days in the High Country and warmer afternoons in the Valley. While we still have some time before the summer heat sets in and the concern of wildfires grow, crews are already out around Arizona clearing invasive plants to protect our beautiful deserts.
A local non-profit, The Friends of Tonto National Forest, is removing invasive species from areas that are becoming overgrown with the destructive vegetation.
After a busy 2021 Monsoon in Arizona, experts said grass fuels are exploding in some parts of the state. The Friends of Tonto National Forest has been working to protect their region by removing invasive plants.
One of the focus areas is where the Telegraph Fire burned near Superior.
The nonprofit’s executive director said it caused a lot of annual summer grasses to grow, like through Arnett Canyon, and that could carry more fires this upcoming summer.
They’ve also noticed an invasive buffelgrass, also known as the archenemy of the Sonoran Desert. The grass builds up more dead material and can carry really hot fires where it grows, Patti Fenner, executive director of the Friends of Tonto National Forest, said.
“It doesn’t go well with our Sonoran Desert because it fills in the spaces between the plants," Fenner said. "It carries a continuous and hot fire, which none of our desert plants are adapted to. So things like cactus, saguaro, prickly pear, barrel, they just die when they burn in a hot fire.”
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said there are a lot of local, tribal and federal partnerships working to reduce fuels across Arizona. Partner projects also rehabilitate forests, watersheds, protect wildlife and more. And of course the number one goal is protecting the public and property.
The department added that as we inch closer to Arizona’s hottest season, it’s still too early to say for sure what the summer will hold for fire conditions. The department said Arizona needs to experience spring weather first as an indicator.
The agency said southern Arizona could have active fires because of last summer’s monsoon rain and how high vegetation is already. While officials wait to see exactly what the wildfire forecast looks like, it's never too early for Arizonans to prepare.
Neighbors need to make sure their homes are fire-wise, especially with the new population growth Arizona is experiencing, Tiffany Davila, a public affairs officer with the department, said.
“A lot of new growth that’s pushing into the wildland urban interface," Davila said. "First and foremost people need to take action in their own property. They need to create defensible space. Create that buffer zone between your property and a potential wildfire.”
Arizonans also need to have evacuation bags packed with essentials whether it’s the threat of fire or flood. Because mother nature can hit hard and fast.
Hikers planning to hit the trails, need to check the with the forest service of the recreation area to see if there are any closures. For example, Fossil Creek is set to be closed through at least fall of 2022 after the Backbone fire burned there last summer.
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