Click the play button on the video window to the see the storyWhen Scottsdale Fire Capt. Al DiBenedetto looks around McDowell Mountain Park, he sees more than just desert.
"That cactus right there, that's a fire scar," he says.
He sees the danger for fire.
And on Tuesday, fire crews from Scottsdale and 25 other departments trained at the desert park preparing for Arizona's upcoming wildfire season.
Firefighters train every year just before summer hits.
As temperatures rise, desert plants and vegetation dry out, creating an explosive fuel for fire.
The wildfire season typically begins in mid-April and runs through September.
To get ready, the fire crews completed several exercises, including water dumps with a pair of helicopters.
"Helicopters help keep small fires small," said Dave Mellinger, a pilot for the Mesa police department.
Releasing 80 to 100 gallons at a time, the helicopters flew around hitting targets set up throughout the desert park.
"It gets us into spaces that firefighters can't get to on foot," Mellinger said.
Crews also worked on fire strategy, tactics and coordination in order to prepare for the worst because just a decade ago, the Rio Fire swept through, burning thousands of acres in the northeast Valley where hundreds of homes now stand.
"It puts us all on the same map," Maricopa firefighter Brad Pitassi said. "So when we are called out, we can focus on the task at hand."
