Winter rains mean there is plenty of vegetation growing around the desert, and as the sun heats things up, the plants will dry out and become the flash fuels for wildfire in the summer season.
Communities such as Fountain Hills, the Verdes and North Scottsdale have a significant wildland urban interface, which brings fire hazards to the doorstep.
Tonto National Forest provides much of the “wildland” in the equation and officials have a close eye on conditions this year, according to Nick Castro, Fire Management officer at Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District.
