Scottsdale Fire upstaffing, adding extra brush trucks for 4th of July weekend

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — After seeing a noticeable increase in brush fires this summer, the Scottsdale Fire Department will be upstaffing and adding extra brush trucks for 4th of July weekend.

The department said the wildfire threat tends to increase during the 4th of July. Therefore, Captain Mike Norling said the department wanted to make sure its crews were ready to respond throughout the weekend.

"It looks like we're on track statewide to beat last year on the wildland starts," Norling said. "I know we've had some recent rains, but remember those grasses are out there those small brushes, one hot day and it dries back out again and one little spark sets them off."

The department has upstaffed crews the entire week of the 4th of July and added extra brush trucks. For the 4th of July, there are four extra brush trucks, and two firefighters will operate each one. The brush trucks' main job will be patrolling neighborhoods and desert lands and also being available for quick response calls.

Captain Norling said regional resources, like the State Fire Department and the Bureau of Land Management, will also be ready to assist if needed this weekend. He also said park rangers will be patrolling areas like the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and Pinnacle Peak Park to ensure no one sets off fireworks on desert lands.

"We do see a lot of illegal fireworks that are out there. With those fireworks, we do see and increase in wildland fires brush fires every 4th of July it does get busier," he explained.

The department said it sees residents set off illegal fireworks every 4th of July.

Knowing a lot of families will be celebrating either at home or in the city, it wants folks to remember the following:

Legal fireworks you can set off include sparklers, smoke devices, and party poppers.

Any kind of aerial firework like firecrackers, bottle rockets, and torpedoes, are ILLEGAL.

Setting off fireworks are prohibited in Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Pinnacle Peak Park, and all properties located within one mile of desert lands.

Setting off fireworks are prohibited on all publicly owned properties, which include but are not limited to, city buildings, city parking lots, city parks, public schools, and city streets.

If you use fireworks, sparklers, hot charcoal, or propane tanks, do not put them in trash cans. All of the following can spark a fire easily, and the department advises to use the city's hazardous waste program for proper disposal of flammable items.

If you find yourself in a firework emergency, call 911 immediately.