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Summit Fire Department

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

     If you travel down Townsend –Winona Road, you’ll see that a tremendous
amount of work has been done to reduce the vegetation along the roadway. While
we’re not through with this work, we are well on our way to getting it completed. I’
d like to acknowledge the efforts of the Coconino National Forest and the Greater
Flagstaff Forest Partnership and the vision that was needed to reduce the fuel
loading not just in our area but all around Flagstaff. The work on the ground has
been done by the various "Hand Crews" from different agencies. The Mormon Lake
and Flagstaff Hot Shots, City of Flagstaff Fuels Crew, and the crews from the
Pinewood, Highlands and Summit Fire Departments are the young people that have
done the hands on work. We are grateful to have these crews working in our area
because of the threat from wildland fire due to the significant mortality rate of
both pine and juniper along this corridor. There are many piles that have been
stacked by the crews that you see along the roadway. These will be burned at a
later date when the conditions are right. There is wood in some of these piles that
is available for your use. We ask that if you do remove wood from any of the piles
that you throw the remainder of the material back onto the pile so we don’t have to
duplicate our work and the piles will remain ready for burning.

       This cooperative effort has put a big dent in our concerns at the Summit FD of
a wildfire gaining momentum and getting out of control along the T/W Corridor. The
next area that we will be working is the area on the west side of Highway 89 from
the Sandy Seep area north towards Lenox Road. This work is invaluable to
protecting our community. There are many of us at Summit FD who have had the
opportunity to go to fires elsewhere in the country that threatened communities. In
some cases entire communities have been destroyed and in other cases, we were
able to keep fires from creating significant loss. Invariably, it was those areas that
had been thinned and prepared for wildfire that we were able to make a difference.
While this year is the slowest in 30 years for wildfires in our nation, we want you to
know that we are continuing to work every day, and with the help of our partners
we are making our community a safer place to live.
       
       At our August 19th Board meeting, the fire board will be voting on whether to
merge with the Fort Valley Fire District. We feel that this is a major step in the right
direction and will help both communities on several levels. If you have any interest
in making comments to the fire board, you may submit them in writing and we will
provide them to the fire board during the meeting. You are also welcome to come
to the board meeting and address the fire board.
       
       We want to inform you that we are going to provide only 2 newsletters this
year. As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to give us a
call at (928) 526-9537 or stop by a station.
Thanks for your support in the past and we hope you have a great rest of the
Summer.

      We would like to hear from you concerning what level of service you think we
should provide. You can call us, send us a letter or send an e-mail to
admin@summitfiredepartment.org  and we will respond to you.  

      
Don Howard, Chief
Chief's Page