Flagstaff recently experienced two large wildfires — what hotshot firefighter Mark Adams calls “career fires.” And he argues that it’s a matter of when, not if, they’ll significantly damage the city’s iconic landscapes.
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Research from Northern Arizona University’s Ecological Restoration Institute will be used to measure the costs, both in dollars and in well-being from forest fires and their flooding aftermath.

As Arizona hits the midway point of this year’s monsoon season, the active storms have tamped down other weather phenomena the state is used to in the summer months.

Big Sandy Fire was 80% contained as of Sunday, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

Residents in northern Arizona will hear from county officials and engineers Thursday night about the new dangers they face from flooding after two major wildfires this year northeast of Flagstaff.

The Flagstaff area has gone through a difficult fire season and continues to deal with the aftermath. But most of the state managed to get through the season without any major fires.

Nine years ago, the Yarnell fire took the lives of 19 hotshot firefighters. Members of the community near where the fire occurred still feel the effects of the tragedy today.

Earlier this month, the Phoenix Fire Department began using drones to help crews on the ground better do their jobs. The department has three drones and FAA certifications for eight drone pilots.

A pair of massive floods that started in the mountains looming over the city of Flagstaff last year damaged entire neighborhoods and overwhelmed drainage systems. Now, city, county and federal officials are racing ahead of this year’s monsoons to create new systems to keep the water moving safely.
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