Fire on I-8 causes back-up as Yuma County revises wildfire protection plan
County asks for your input in forming it's plan - CBS 13's April Hettinger tells you how to help
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - May is the start of wildfire season, but fires in our area have already sparked.
Yuma Fire Department put out several small brush fires Tuesday along the I-8 between 16th Street and Avenue 3E which caused some westbound traffic delay.
The county is working to update their Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) to expand a multi-agency effort to prevent wildfires.
It was created in 2010 but hasn't been updated since then.
Fire Chief Tim Soule with Rural Metro Fire Department says the most recent fires had several factors that were working against them.
"The fuels are dry, the temperatures are increasing, humidity is down. There's always the potential for fire to spread that's not being controlled," Chief Soule said.
Tony Badilla, emergency manager for Yuma County says they received a $10,000 grant and the rest of the money will be funded by each department including Yuma, Somerton, San Luis, Wellton, Tacna and Rural Metro.
"We're now using inter-agency radios on a regular basis," Badilla explained. "We have satellite imaging that allows for thermal imaging of fires, ongoing and after the fact when they're doing the mop-up procedures."
Emergency fire crew, including Mike Erfert with the Yuma Fire Department, recommend sraking leaves, cutting grass and trimming trees frequently to avoid adding fuel to the flames.
"When we get a lot of rain then that sometimes follows that we get more vegetation and that vegetation dries out and becomes more of a hazard," Erfert stated.
And, the county says residents should think about acting now before it's too late.
"Create a fire break around your residence. You don't want to wait until you have a fire out there before you start wanting to remove that brush and that debris," Badilla said. "It's a little too late at that point."
The county is requesting the community's help in updating the CWPP by taking a survey.
Wildfire season will continue until about mid-July.
