A dozen wildfires are burning throughout the state of Arizona. The Southwest Fire Coordination Center reports most are small, between a few hundred and few thousand acres.
A total of 30 wildfires were started over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. One of the most troublesome started in the median of Interstate 17 north of Anthem as thousands headed out of town Wednesday. Traffic was stopped in both directions.
Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management says firefighters had their hands full this holiday weekend.
Davila says the quick responses by fire crews kept most wildfires to a minimum. She also credits the Arizona Department of Transportation for helping get the word out about fire danger.
The agency ran two signs that warned people about parking over dried grass or having tow chains drag on the highway.
Davila says it’s important for motorists to physically check their vehicles to make sure their tires have the correct air pressure and that nothing is dragging on the road.
