41,000 acres in Phoenix are at risk of wildfires. Here's how the city is planning to respond

In 2019, the Phoenix Fire Department created a community risk reduction plan that’s drawing extra interest following January’s destructive wildfires in southern California.

During a recent presentation before the City Council, the department said it has identified more than 41,000 acres at risk of wildland fires.

Executive Assistant Fire Chief Tim Kreis said crews have been conducting annual training and checking equipment. As hot, dry weather approaches, he said a 911 call about a brush fire will bring a big response.

“The reason we're sending all those resources early is because we know the weather risk is up. We know where the areas are that exist in the wildland urban interface,” Kreis said. “And sending a bunch of resources early and stopping the fire early is a whole lot better than having to send hundreds and deal with a fire that could be very destructive in our community.”

In an emergency, Phoenix Water Services Director Troy Hayes said the department can pump up to 610 million gallons into the system.

“That production level’s approximately 200 million gallons or 50% more than what we see on the hottest summer day of the demands,” he said. “Also, to put that capacity into perspective, the large pallet fires, the warehouse fires that we've dealt with, the Fire Department only uses about 2 million gallons spread over a couple of days period, so a lot of extra redundancy in resiliency in our treatment systems.”

In 2021, Phoenix had 709 fire hydrants that didn’t work and another 2,000 that needed repaired or replaced. The council approved hiring a private company to help with the backlog. Now, Hayes said, more than 99% of the city’s 57,000 fire hydrants are operational.

Property owners can reduce fire risks by creating a defensible space around buildings, rimming trees and bushes and keeping dry vegetation away from buildings.

“So cutting trees that are not healthy, if you got trees that are right up next to your attic space, and the gabled ends in your house, and these sorts of them, trimming those back, maintaining your natural landscape, and maintaining your property will significantly reduce fire risk,” Kreis said. “And in the event that there is a fire, it makes the firefighters' jobs and chances of being successful a whole lot better.”