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Mexico warns Arizona of toxic waste spill into river
Authorities are testing water from the San Pedro River in southern Arizona that may be contaminated with toxic waste that traveled north after a massive copper mine spill in Mexico this summer.
Officials ask Congress for funds to train firefighters, fight wildfires
Forestry and fire officials told a Senate subcommittee that federal, state and local firefighters need more funding, training and flexibility to effectively battle wildfires.
Poor oversight cited in Texas ammonium nitrate blast mirrored in Arizona
One year after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people, injured hundreds and devastated the town of West, Texas, significant questions remain about the safety and security of hazardous chemical storage facilities across the U.S. and in Arizona.
Brewer signs Yarnell Hill memorial site plan
A bill creating a memorial site honoring the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire last year has been signed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.
Family members react emotionally to ruling on firefighter deaths
An Arizona commission linked the state's Forestry Division to the deaths last summer of 19 wild land firefighters, issuing the ruling after its investigative agency reported on its probe and recommended financial penalties.
Media outlets sue for records on Yarnell Hill wildfire deaths
A newspaper and a television station are suing Yavapai County officials for release of some records generated by the investigation into the June 30 deaths of 19 firefighters during the Yarnell Hill Fire.
Brewer appeals FEMA rejection of Yarnell aid
Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the Federal Emergency Management Administration to reconsider its denial of disaster aid for the Yarnell Hill fire, saying new information proves that it’s needed and that the deadly-but-relatively-small blaze was destructive enough to warrant federal assistance.
Lawmakers, citing Yarnell, press forestry officials on wildfire prevention
Arizona lawmakers invoked the memory of the 19 fallen Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters at a hearing Thursday where they urged bureaucrats to improve forest management to prevent such fires in the future.
Portable shelters couldn’t save 19 Arizona firefighters
Trapped by a wildfire that exploded tenfold in a matter of hours, a crack team of firefighting "Hotshots" broke out their portable emergency shelters and rushed to climb into the foil-lined, heat-resistant bags before the flames swept over them.
For hotshot firefighting crews, preparing for the worst is a way of life
Nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, based in Prescott, Ariz., were killed Sunday evening when a windblown wildfire overcame them north of Phoenix. It was the deadliest single day for U.S. firefighters since Sept. 11. Fourteen of the victims were in their 20s. This article from June 2012 highlights the training and dedication of the firemen on this elite crew.
New ‘average’: Official say wildfire seasons aren’t what they used to be in Arizona
As the 35-acre Fisher Point fire burned in a canyon just a few miles south of his office, Coconino National Forest fire information officer Dick Fleishman said he anticipates an average fire season.
Bill would would allow communities to ban fireworks sales
Saying it would help reduce the risk of wildfires, a state lawmaker is trying again to give cities and towns the authority to ban the sale of sparklers and other fireworks legalized by a 2010 state law.
