The Southwestern Region of the U.S. Forest Service worked with federal, state and local agency partners to host two fire and flood recovery workshops providing communities in Arizona affected by fires and floods with a forum to learn about available funding and technical assistance opportunities.
The workshops, held in Scottsdale and Eager, AZ, were open to individual homeowners, business owners, community leaders and affected Tribes of recent fires in Arizona.
Large fires began with the Horseshoe 2 Fire on the Coronado National Forest and the Wallow Fire on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest - both starting in May. The Monument Fire, also on the Coronado Forest started in June.
Southeastern Arizona received 2 percent or less of normal precipitation for the first 6 months of the year. The record dry conditions were accompanied by higher than normal temperatures, sustained high winds through May and June, and extremely low relative humidity readings - all contributing to extremely volatile fire potential for 2011.
Many areas are now getting precipitation from the annual monsoonal season, which can bring floods and other natural impacts like devastating mudslides to burned areas and surrounding communities.
