Unlike monsoon season, when everyone is excited to finally get some rain around these parts, wildfire season is a time of year when we’d prefer not to see the season’s namesake pop up.

Unfortunately, Arizonans aren’t always that lucky. But while some wildfires are unavoidable (caused by lightning and the like), many of them could be prevented with a little extra care on our part.

This past week was Wildfire Awareness Week, a time when Arizonans are asked to consider ways to prevent tragedy by taking a few simple measures. Whether it’s simply clearing your yard and the surrounding area of potential kindling or remembering to put out campfires thoroughly, there are plenty of ways we can all chip in to keep a wildfire from sparking. For a list of precautions and reminders, check out our story on page 1A of this week’s issue.

Let’s all do our part to keep Fountain Hills, and the state as a whole, safe through these hot, dry months.