It may seem early to start talking about wildfire season, but seeing the destruction from the fires in Los Angeles and the recent fire on the state trust land is a reminder to be prepared. In 2020, a wildland fire burned nearly 3,000 acres of Cave Creek property and impacted several structures. The Town Council worked quickly to find a solution to help protect the community with fire and emergency services. Without new bonds or taxes, the Town partnered with Daisy Mountain Fire District and agreed to build a new fire station and join the Regional Automatic Aid Response System, which gives us additional firefighting resources when needed.
We opened our new fire station last December, and Daisy Mountain and Cave Creek are about to break ground on another fire station on the northeast corner of 24th Street and East Cloud Rd. The Town is paying half the costs for this important firefighting resource. Again, without new taxes or bonds.
Cave Creek has more emergency and fire resources available to respond quickly to fires and incidents in the Town. Wildland fires in our area are being attacked more quickly and extinguished before they become major incidents. However, it takes all of us to do our part to prepare for a potential wildfire.
Living in Cave Creek means tending to nature to ensure safety during a wildfire. The primary source of wildfire fuel around your home is debris, such as weeds, leaves, brush, and small branches. Creating a 30-foot defensible space around your home, free of ground litter debris and other highly flammable vegetation, is recommended. Prune your trees and remove branches close to a roofline or window. The Town of Cave Creek hosts two drop-off events for residents (only) to discard green waste and debris. These events will occur on Saturday, March 13, and Saturday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Water Ranch, located at 4300 E. Carefree Hwy.
The Town is also planning two community meetings to share our preparedness for any wildfires that may occur with residents. The first meeting is Thursday, March 13, at 1 p.m. at the fire station, located at 37402 N. Cave Creek Road. The second meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 10, at the Desert Foothills Library. In addition to the Cave Creek Fire Department, Daisy Mountain, and the Tonto National Forest will have representatives at these meetings to provide information.
If you are already registered with our CodeRed system, now is the time to ensure your information is current. In the event of a fire or flood, the CodeRed emergency telephone notification service will alert those registered with a recorded message about the emergency and what actions you should take to ensure your safety. You will find more information and registration for CodeRed at www.cavecreekaz.gov/codered.
Bob Morris
Mayor, Cave Creek
