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Gila County to receive funding to help with community wildfire preparedness

The bipartisan infrastructure law set aside money to help offset the effects of wildfires throughout the West.

The Biden administration has announced that one Arizona county will receive some of that funding.

Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press conference that Gila County will receive $341,000 for evacuation planning, community education and fuel thinning.

She talked about her experiences in her home state of California, which has had devastating wildfires in recent years, and said that climate change is making the problem worse.

"But to meet this moment how about if we expand our focus to invest not just in response, but in prevention," Harris said. "Which is of course about preparedness and resilience. Because we know that the best time to fight a fire is before it starts."

She was joined by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who said that drought, climate change and growth in rural communities have led to a year-round wildfire season.

Ron Dungan was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2020 to 2024.