As National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certified Firewise Communities, Rio Verde and Tonto Verde work year-round to mitigate the threat of wildfires.

To maintain certification as Firewise Communities there is a requirement to annually maintain community boundaries that interface with open desert to reduce fuels that could feed the spread of fires. Annual Firewise Day for the Verdes is Saturday, Nov. 9.

Through the Firewise effort, the communities work with the Rio Verde Fire District, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Tonto National Forest and Cave Creek Ranger District to coordinate border maintenance efforts on their property. Additionally, there is cooperation with the HOAs and individual homeowners to maintain properties and further reduce the risk of fire.

The Firewise western border clearing activities are undertaken by volunteers from Rio Verde and Tonto Verde during winter months (January through March when snakes are primarily dormant). The effort covers approximately four miles across the western and southern borders.

For the last four to five years the same team of about 12 to 15 community residents have undertaken this task for the benefit of the whole community. Many of these volunteers are involved in multiple activities and have served their community well.

New volunteers are invited to join the effort. Work is done a few hours early in the morning, several days each week. Diane Newcomb (dnewcomb1957@gmail.com) is the coordinator who sends emails each day to direct the team to the location of the next workday and captures the volunteers’ names and hours worked for credit towards Firewise certification.

Anyone interested in helping or taking on the role of volunteer coordinator, send an email to Newcomb. The year 2024 will be a training year to hand off the coordinator job.

Verdes residents are urged to attend the annual Firewise Day which is a certification requirement to hold a Firewise Education Event each year for the community. Residents’ attendance is needed to demonstrate community participation in support of local Firewise efforts. The Rio Verde Fire District, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa Emergency Management, Tonto National Forest and others have been on the agenda in past years, keeping residents up to date with processes and procedures. The 2024 Firewise Day will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Rio Verde Community Center Multi-Purpose Room from 9 to 11 a.m.

Residents will be asked to submit their sweat equity sheets and/or landscaping receipts to the Rio Verde Community Association Office so the data can be incorporated in the recertification application.

This year, there have been several fires around the area burning more than 40,000 acres. Some named fires were worked by crews of firefighters, hotshots, Emergency Management teams, helicopters, air tankers, and there were some small fires along the roads that have been managed by local fire crews.

It is important to remain diligent to prevent wildfires from threatening the community and disrupting lives. For more information on volunteering or participating with personal efforts, contact Eb Scheuing (480-471-7393) in Rio Verde and Diane Newcomb (856-498-4160) in Tonto Verde.