Arizona’s Last Local Wildland Fire Crew Disbands, Sparking Concerns

Arizona’s Last Local Wildland Fire Crew Disbands Amid Concerns

Arizona bids farewell to the Bear Jaw Interagency Fire and Fuels Crew, marking the end of the state’s last locally managed wildland fire team. Situated in the Highlands Fire District near Flagstaff, the crew has been pivotal in battling significant fires across the West while assisting residents in fire-prone areas.

The community of Kachina Village, part of the Highlands Fire District, now faces uncertainty. Residents like Laurell and Lowell Kendall are accustomed to clearing their yards of debris in preparation for fire season, a chore made easier by the Bear Jaw crew’s assistance. “There are pine needles and pine cones, and the bags tend to start ripping apart,” Laurell Kendall remarked. Despite the challenges, Lowell Kendall expressed determination, noting, “We’re happy to do it, we can do it, it’s a sport.”

Previously, the Bear Jaw team aided residents by removing brush and transporting debris to disposal sites. However, the crew’s disbandment in March came as a shock, leaving the community vulnerable. Former Highlands Fire Chief Dirch Foreman, who dedicated over twenty years to the district, including eight as chief, expressed deep personal loss: “It really emptied me.”

Bear Jaw was established as a collaborative initiative between the Highlands, Summit, and Pinewood fire districts. Foreman described its origins: “We all kind of had these little grassroots fuels programs for fire mitigation…we thought, ‘Wow, what a great idea to maybe combine all of these people into one program.’” Certified to operate on wildfire front lines, Bear Jaw stood out as one of only three locally managed crews in Arizona capable of federal and state collaboration.

The decision to disband was attributed to financial and staffing constraints. Highlands Fire Chief Todd Miller noted the difficulty in sustaining the program, saying, “We recognize it’s a huge loss to the community. It’s very difficult for us to make that decision.”

Staffing challenges have plagued the district, with Miller explaining, “For seasonals…we’ve barely been able to get the numbers of people that are qualified.” Financial limitations, exacerbated by capped local property taxes, further hindered the district’s efforts to compete with larger agencies.

Experts express concern over the reduction of certified crews amid increasingly severe fire seasons. Retired Chief Don Howard emphasized the importance of such local resources, stating, “We want to use every tool in the toolbox, and Bear Jaw was one of the tools in the toolbox.”

Howard advocates for legislative changes to improve funding for county fire districts, suggesting, “Perhaps some additional help and funding from the state…through changing some of their legislation in terms of taxation.”