Are you ready for wildfire season in Arizona?
PHOENIX (KSAZ) - It's what kept a deadly blaze burning almost three years ago in Yarnell Hill.
Wind, fanning the flames, that took the lives of 19 brave firefighters, scorching thousands of acres of Northern Arizona land.
This tragedy, caused by lightning and dry, windy conditions, still frighten firefighters like Rural/Metro's Shawn Gilleland.
"We get the winds that start pushing," he said. "We all love to go camping up north, you build a campfire, you leave it, or you just leave it unattended, and that's really a combination for something dangerous."
It's what we saw in Kearny River last summer, investigators found that this fire, which burned more than 1,000 acres, was started by someone's campfire.
Fireworks and tossed cigarette butts have also been culprits, and it's days like today, when you should avoid all of that completely.
But if the worst does strike and your home is nearby, there are preemptive safety measures, likes creating a 10-foot buffer.
"If you could clear brush, clear dead trees, clear dead grasses, any kind of fuel that's stored near the house, wood or whatever else; keep that away from your property," Gilleland said.
Defending your space is one suggestion Gov. Ducey recently sent out for Wildfire Awareness Week, along with checking your insurance to make sure you have wildfire coverage.
Also, taking an inventory of your belongings with a list, pictures and video. An evacuation plan is also important and you should make sure you have smoke detectors, as well.
All of this is to keep you safe because while we know it's a beautiful time to be in Arizona, temperatures don't have to be hot for a fire to easily spark up.