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Agency official urges Show Low homeowners to thin trees, seek permits for pile burns
Summary
An agency official warned that dense tree canopies in parts of Show Low increase wildfire risk and urged homeowners to perform fuel mitigation, pursue small, permitted pile burns through timbermesafire.org, and contact city staff about green-waste disposal.
An agency official at a community meeting in Show Low urged homeowners to reduce combustible fuels on their properties to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
"One of the biggest things that homeowners can do is to go out and do some what we call mitigation efforts and that's to remove the fuels, everything that burns," the agency official said, describing how "ladder fuels" — grass, shrubs, then trees — allow fire to climb into the canopy.
The official warned that once flames reach the canopy, "we're going to have a catastrophic or a wildfire and it's probably going to extend to your business or your home." They added that some neighborhoods in Show Low have about "300 trees per acre," a density the speaker called "not healthy" and conducive to large fires.
The official recommended thin‑out operations and permitted prescribed burns to recreate historical fire patterns, saying, "what we're trying to do is we're trying to recreate that in either thinning operations or by prescribed burns." They noted that in Timber Mesa's district prescribed burns are allowed "by permit," and that permits require following strict conditions and keeping piles small.
When asked how to obtain a permit, the official directed residents to timbermesafire.org: "You go to fire prevention tab, you click on that or you can just go straight to the burn permits. Fill it out, submit it, that's it. It's automatic. When you enter your email, it will send you a copy of the permit by email." They also said residents may obtain permits in person at a fire station.
Speakers urged homeowners to begin yard cleanup immediately: "Start cleaning up your yard. I mean, trimming dead trees and dead branches and raking up pine needles, leaves, any debris you have laying around your house, and get it hauled off." A city staff member said residents seeking places to dispose of slash piles, green waste or construction debris should "call me at the office" or check the city's website and that city staff will provide locations and guidance on disposal.
There were no motions or formal actions recorded at the meeting. The discussion closed with officials encouraging residents to complete fuel mitigation now and to contact Timber Mesa Fire or the City of Show Low for permit and disposal information.
