A three-day weekend is coming up and that means a lot of people will be hitting the road…

It’s the perfect time to take a road trip, but it’s also wildfire season and we’ve all got to be a bit more careful in this dry, desert climate we live.

Earlier this week we provided some tips that focused on how you can safely drive (and pull your vehicle over) in areas with reduced visibility due to smoke. But, today we’re going to talk about what drivers can do to actually prevent fires from starting in the first place.

Yes, drivers play an important role in wildfire prevention!

Over half of the wildland fires in Arizona each year are human caused, according to State Forester Scott Hunt with the Arizona State Forestry Division.

“Roadside fires are common in Arizona and most are avoidable,” Hunt said. “The danger of roadside fires starting from a car pulling a trailer with improperly adjusted safety chains or the careless disposal of smoking materials is very real.”

Here are a few things you can do to reduce the threat of fire along Arizona’s roads:

• Never park your vehicle on dry grass, or drive through tall grass
• Never throw a lighted cigarette out the window of a vehicle
• When pulling a trailer, attach safety chains securely; loose chains can drag on the pavement and cause sparks, igniting roadside fires
• Do not park where vegetation is touching the underside of your vehicle
• Look behind you before driving away to check for signs of a developing fire
• Observe “Red Flag” warnings. Warnings are issued when weather conditions are conducive to the easy start and rapid spread of wildfires
• Always use a spark arrestor in internal combustion engines
• Driving into smoke can be dangerous; avoid active fires by calling 511 or log onto ADOT’s Traveler Information site at www.az511.gov to seek alternate routes.

For more on wildfires, visit www.azein.gov, the state’s online source for real-time emergency updates, preparedness and hazard information. Another excellent source for wildfire information is www.wildlandfire.az.gov, which is supported by wildland fire agencies in Arizona as part of an interagency collaboration.

Late last week a travel alert went out to warn drivers of some heavy smoke present near SR 69 due to the Gladiator Fire burning near Crown King.

ADOT advised drivers to slow down and remain alert in the area because the smoke was, at the time, reducing visibility. As of this morning, fire crews are continuing to battle the blaze (along with a few others around the state) and are making progress.

Unfortunately, it seems wildfire season is already here…

We thought now would be a good time to share some tips for safely driving (and pulling over) in areas with reduced visibility. Maybe you’ve heard them before, but they’re worth reviewing and remembering:

• Check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not stop in the travel lane unless the vehicle traffic in front of you has come to a stop.
• Look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Stop the vehicle in a position ensuring it is a safe distance from the main roadway and not near where any vehicles may travel.
• Turn off all vehicle lights.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in your vehicle and keep your seat belts on.
• Wait for the visibility to improve before re-entering the roadway.

One more thing … you always can stay up-to-date on the latest highway conditions (fire-related or otherwise) around the state by visiting az511.gov or by calling 511.

Last week when we told you about National Preparedness Month, we briefly detailed the role ADOT plays when it comes to public safety. But, there’s a whole lot more to say on the subject, and who better to write about it than ADOT’s very own Emergency Manager…

Courtney Perrier-Bear has been with ADOT for 12 years and has been the department’s emergency manager since June 2010. That same year she received her master's degree in technology, with an emphasis in emergency management from Arizona State University. Courtney’s experience also includes time as an Arizona Firefighter II, work as an Arizona Division of Emergency Management adjunct instructor and 20 years in environmental, safety, hazardous materials and emergency management. Take a look at the video above to see Courtney in action on the scene of the Wallow Fire back in June.

By Courtney Perrier-Bear
ADOT Emergency Manager

Everything ADOT does supports public safety in some manner…

But, in order for us to be ready for any emergencies or disasters that might affect our highways and interstates, we’ve got to be prepared for anything.

To help the department stay ready and prepared, ADOT has an Emergency Preparedness and Management group that focuses on caring for the public as well as ADOT employees during such emergencies.

ADOT has several responsibilities for response and recovery that are spelled out in the Arizona State Emergency Response and Recovery Plan. We have to be prepared as an agency and as employees to be ready to meet those responsibilities.

Some examples of our activities include:

• Coordinating and participating in internal and external preparedness activities with all levels of government, private entities, and non-governmental agencies such as the Red Cross
• Representing ADOT at the State Emergency Operations Center in the Public Safety Branch
• Integrating items such as training and communication requirements found in the National Response Framework and National Incident Management System into ADOT operations
• Supporting ADOT employees and ADOT business area recovery during and after emergencies
• Responding as an assisting agency to emergencies affecting ADOT with other state agencies, counties, local jurisdictions and private entities during response operation.

These activities help ADOT prepare to assist the citizens of Arizona during an emergency affecting our transportation corridors … but there are plenty of things you can do to be prepared and help ADOT and other response agencies.

• Know the hazards of your area. Sign up for the Arizona Emergency Information Network at azein.gov. Check your local jurisdiction or county web pages for emergency management groups and see what they have to offer. Arizona demographics, climate, and hazard risk vary widely and local plans tailored to the area will aid in your preparedness.
• Create a family emergency plan such as the one found at ready.gov and focus on how you will get out of your area and community if evacuated. You may only have minutes to react as seen in the Texas wildfires over the last few days. Check a map of your area and pick several different routes of escape. You may find that during an emergency such as the Wallow Fire this summer, ADOT may have closed some routes due to dangerous conditions. Learn how to use az511.com before an emergency strikes.
• Decide on your method of evacuation (car, bus, friend’s car, etc) and then plan a second and a third method if the first fails.
• Plan options for where to go. Sure, there will probably be shelters, but what about your pets or family members with functional needs? What will you do if you can’t get to your destination right away?
• Have a communication (such as an out of state relative or friend) and rendezvous point backup plan. What if you are separated from family members and can’t reunite until you are out of danger? How will you make contact and where will you meet up? Will it be safe there based on the hazards in your area?
  Have emergency supplies ready in your car at all times. And don’t forget; keep your car serviced and your fuel topped off.

During emergencies that require evacuation, ADOT will work with other agencies to make sure appropriate evacuation decisions are taking place and that the public is being informed of response-specific actions you will need to take. Help us out by being prepared for such events!

It’s not often that a tree gets wrapped up in a mystery, but a lot of unanswered questions surround one Juniper growing next to I-17.

Some Arizonans might already know about the tree – it’s actually sort of famous around the state. Sitting in the middle of the median, just north of the Sunset Point rest area, around milepost 254, this is the tree that’s secretly decorated around Christmas and the Fourth of July. For years, no one has been able to figure out who is responsible.

Earlier this month something else happened that’s equally puzzling …

On Aug. 3, the 20-foot high tree survived a brush fire that had already consumed much of the vegetation around it. Flames got so close to the tree that plastic pipes situated near the trunk were melted (the pipes serve as a watering system and were put there presumably by the same people who stealthily decorate the tree each year).

The fire started about 200 feet south of the tree and forced a closure of the highway. But, according to ADOT Highway Operations Supervisor Randy Skinner , the tree, amazingly, was not harmed.

“The fire pretty much just burned up to the tree and burned out,” said Skinner, adding fire departments from Mayer and Black Canyon City responded to the blaze.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened.

ADOT employees, who handled traffic control as the fire burned, have seen the tree somehow survive over and over again.

“In the 15 years I’ve been with ADOT, we’ve had fires three or four times a year and the tree never gets touched by the fire,” Skinner said. “For some reason this tree doesn’t burn.”

So, what do you think protects the tree? And, any ideas on who decorates it for the holidays? Leave your theories in the comments or post them over on our Facebook page!

The wildfires burning through portions of the state are destroying so much … from the scenic acreage that will be changed forever to the property loss and the lives so terribly affected.

It’s difficult to take it all in.

But if there’s anything to be gained from this disaster, it’s an even deeper gratitude and appreciation for the fire fighters and support personnel risking so much to battle the flames.

Several ADOT employees are among that support team and not only are they doing all they can in response to the emergency, but many are residents of the towns they’re trying to help save. They’ve stayed behind as friends and family members have been evacuated, in some cases evacuating their own families after their 12-hour shifts.

For the Wallow Fire alone, ADOT maintenance and operations crews from St. Johns, Springerville and Show Low have been on duty day and night keeping motorists out of the fire, allowing firefighters to focus on battling the blaze.

ADOT Maintenance and Operations Tech Brannon Morales sums it up best in the video above, “We’ve got a job to do and it’s keeping the firefighters safe, as well as the public.”

Since the fires began and started to threaten towns, residences and lives, these ADOT crews have assisted in coordinating and setting up the closures of hundreds of miles of state highways. That work includes making sure people know about the road blocks through message boards and signs.

But emergency response and working toward keeping the public safe is not new for ADOT. In fact, it’s a big part of what ADOT does, according to ADOT Emergency Manager Courtney Bear.

“There are maybe 2,500 firefighters on this but there’s probably 1,000 support personnel and we’re a part of that support team,” she said. “We’re a public safety agency… we have a huge public safety component to what we do.”