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Fire Management Team Offers Slide Fire Perspective

Sedona AZ Slide Fire...Some people are?

Sedona AZ Slide Fire…Some people are?

Sedona AZ (May 28, 2014) The following is from the Slide Fire (Sedona, Arizona) Southwest Incident Management Team:

Greetings readers,

We’re posting to provide some insight from the Incident Management Team’s perspective.

It’s unfortunate that even though camping and fires are ALWAYS banned in Oak Creek Canyon (outside of the developed recreation sites), the local fire organizations are constantly challenged by careless forest visitors who choose to ignore the regulations.

However, these agencies – municipal Fire Departments in Sedona and Flagstaff, Forest Service, and State and County organizations – understand this challenge and work together all year round to ensure that their emergency responses are seamless.

The fact that no structures were lost is because of the Sedona Fire Department’s quick response. Though municipal fire departments focus mainly on homes and wildland firefighters work in the forest, municipal firefighters will engage in the forest (if situations are safe enough) until wildland resources arrive. In addition, had the Forest Service not conducted the thinning treatments in the area, this fire would have behaved much differently. Were it not for the efforts of the fire departments and Forest Service prior to and during those first critical hours, we could all be in a much more devastating situation right now.

Slide Fire Sedona AZ management says "Firefighter safety is always the #1 priority!"

Slide Fire Sedona AZ management says “Firefighter safety is always the #1 priority!”

We are often asked why fires like this aren’t just “put out while it’s small.” Firefighter safety is always the #1 priority. Period. We won’t compromise their safety by putting them in a risky situation. Keep in mind, however, that most fires in this area are extinguished while they’re small. In fact, the public doesn’t hear about 90% of the fires because they’re contained so quickly. Much credit is due to local responders for those efforts.

An incident like this always stirs emotions, and everyone has some healing to do. We urge you all to continue to work together as a community to prepare for the post-fire effects of the Slide Fire, and please help each other and the local agencies prevent devastating wildfire by informing neighbors and visitors about the dangers whenever you have the chance. Every person in the forest has a responsibility to take care of it, and residents can do their part by creating defensible space around their own property. Being Firewise improves not only the safety of your property, but neighboring properties and nearby forest as well…not to mention the safety of the firefighters.

Thank you for all your support of the Southwest Incident Management Team. We’ve been honored to serve this community.

For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

9 Comments

  1. Donna Joy says:

    Liked and shared this article on Facebook.

  2. Liked this article on Facebook.

  3. Jana Lea says:

    Liked this article on Facebook.

  4. Liked and shared this article on Facebook.

  5. Very nice acknowledgement to Sedona Eye for up-to date information on this man-caused disaster. Just thinking how much worse this could have been had the wind shifted south and caused the fire to head for Sedona instead of Flagstaff is chilling. Of course it’s unfortunate that the anticipation for banner sales hit the skids. However, isn’t it better to have businesses still standing than burned to the ground? Please, keep this situation in perspective Chamber of Commerce and retail merchants. And do not spread misinformation that the air quality in Sedona is healthy to breathe. NOT TRUE.

    This comprehensive explanation of how this amazing system worked is just short of a being a work of art considering that no lives or structures were lost. Those quick to pass judgment as has become the theme for certain individuals using this site as an opportunity to do just that should maybe pick up their axes to grind and go put out a real fire. Or maybe they should join the idiots in the photo (top right.)

    Thank you firefighters and Sedona Eye for keeping this situation in proper perspective.

  6. Tumble Inn says:

    “…the beauty remains..the clearing of the fire debris is working…”

  7. some people go through life with blinders on

  8. Liked and shared this article on Facebook.

  9. Jack Keene says:

    Our community was very happy to see news that Sedona didn’t lose lives, homes, businesses. Your Firefighters should be well appreciated for this huge protective effort. We follow your Facebook posts too. This Prescott group read your updates every morning and evening and even noticed when you corrected misinformation; let’s pray that no fires happen in our areas again for hundreds of years to come. God Bless. (Let’s say prayers again for the Yarnell 19 are gone but never forgotten.)

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