MESA, AZ — As this stretch of hot weather continues, wildfire concerns are top of mind for many Valley residents.
In the affluent Madrid neighborhood in east Mesa, homeowners are taking those concerns seriously — and working with the Mesa Fire Department to make their homes as fire-resistant as possible.
So far, three Mesa neighborhoods have been certified by Mesa Fire’s Firewise program.
On Thursday, Mesa Fire Inspector Tyson Matheny met with neighbors from Madrid. In recent weeks, Matheny has flown a heat-sensitive drone over the neighborhood to collect data and point out trouble spots on individual properties. The drone’s infrared cameras highlight dry vegetation, roof vulnerabilities and other conditions that could allow small fires or wind-blown embers to threaten homes.
“When we stress about wildfire, it’s not always the wall of fire that we stress about. It’s the blowing embers ahead of the fire,” Matheny said, explaining why preventing ember-driven ignitions is central to the department’s strategy.
Firewise, the national wildfire-preparation program Mesa uses, focuses on reducing the chance that embers will ignite homes, or start a chain reaction that engulfs multiple houses. Mesa officials say more than 5,000 homes in the city are Firewise certified.
For residents like Mark Walters, neighborhood cleanup and prevention efforts have been eye-opening.
“I’d never seen wildfire before, other than on the news,” Walters said. “It’s one of those situations where somebody ought to do something.”
Mesa firefighters emphasize that extended hot spells — like the current heat wave — increase the risk that dry brush and landscaping can ignite. “Those are conditions we don’t want to put our people into if we don’t have to,” Matheny said. “If we can prevent the fire from ever happening, the better off we are.”
While every property is different, Firewise-aligned steps commonly recommended by wildfire professionals include:
- Creating and maintaining defensible space by clearing dead vegetation and trimming plants near the house
- Keeping roofs and gutters free of leaves and debris
- Using non-flammable landscaping materials and maintaining moisture around ornamental plants
- Sealing vents and openings where embers could enter the attic or walls
- Organizing neighborhood cleanup days to reduce fuels and coordinate prevention efforts
