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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Researchers say too much fuel in the forest can lead to bigger and hotter wildfires. So a coalition of government agencies and private interests are working to thin the forest near Payson. With wildfires burning throughout the state, it’s easy to forget that fire is part of nature.

In response to the Pipeline Fire, St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix sent out 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of food and drinks to Flagstaff to help with the fire relief effort.

A federal judge ordered the release of the man accused of burning toilet paper in the area where the Pipeline Fire erupted in northern Arizona earlier this month.
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As the summer season approaches in Arizona, so do dry conditions leading to wildfires. Matt Pace, meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, says the current active wildfire season will affect the air quality throughout the state.

Officials say a southern Arizona wildfire, which forced evacuations that have since been lifted, is now 30% contained. The roughly 2,149-acre Elgin Bridge Fire is burning on Mustang Mountain.