BOISE, Id. — The National Interagency Coordination Center is predicting above normal risk for wildfires in Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties in the spring.
The Predictive Services division says the outlook is for reduced moisture and higher than normal temperatures across the Southwest over the next four months, resulting in above normal risk for wildfires in west Texas and eastern New Mexico in February and March, before moving to western New Mexico and eastern Arizona in April and May.
Meanwhile, state Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, has introduced a bill to get more money for wildland firefighting equipment to local fire districts.
SB 1285 would allocate $12.5 million to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, to be used for grants to local fire districts that are designated by the department as “fire cooperators.”
“What we propose to do is get some funds in here so we can get more equipment for our guys out that way to prevent these fires from taking over our forests, our agriculture land, and all the rural suburban areas just as well,” Gowan said during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
The bill passed Appropriations by a bipartisan vote of 9-0-1 and now sits in the Rules Committee.
Gowan’s district includes Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties.
