/ Modified jun 19, 2017 11:53 a.m.

Early-Season Wildfires Burn Through Management Budget

No official estimates for spending, but budget overages not unusual, official says.

Sawmill Fire aerial 042717 hero Sawmill Fire burning up ridge lines near Sonoita. Red tinge is residue of fire retardant dropped from air tankers.
US Incident Information System

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management’s $4 million budget for this fiscal year has already been depleted.

Department spokeswoman Tiffany Davila said this is not unusual and they’ve gone over budget in the past.

“We have spent $4.2 million on three large fires from May; the Sawmill, the Mulberry and the Mirador,” Davila said.

The department has no estimation of how far over budget it will be, because it’s the heart of wildfire season.

“We have to continue to go out there and fight the fires like we would,” Davila said. “We’re not going to stop doing our jobs because we don’t have the money for it.”  

Davila said the department has worked eight to 10 fires this month, some of which are still burning. She said the state helps with fires on federal land, in a cost-sharing arrangement. The state is currently assisting with the Lizard, Highline and Boundary fires on federal land.

MORE: Arizona, Fire, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona