Wildfire Readiness in Focus as House Committee Meets in Payson, Arizona

As Arizona faces increasingly severe wildfire seasons, lawmakers are bringing the conversation out of the Capitol and into the communities most at risk. On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the Arizona House Fire Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee will convene a public meeting in Payson to hear from forestry experts, utility leaders, and local residents about the growing threats posed by wildfires—and the urgent need for action.

The meeting, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. at Gila Community College, is part of a broader effort launched earlier this year by House Speaker Steve Montenegro to address what many believe is a ticking time bomb for Arizona’s public safety. The committee, chaired by Representative David Marshall, was formed to examine Arizona’s fire prevention strategies, emergency response systems, and the increasingly difficult insurance landscape facing families living in high-risk zones.

Recent wildfires across the western United States have underscored how quickly disaster can strike—and how devastating the consequences can be when systems are underprepared. Representative Marshall, who also chairs the House Committee on Public Safety & Law Enforcement, says Arizona must learn from those failures and act before it’s too late.

“The recent fires in California have shown how fast these disasters can escalate and how devastating they are when systems fail,” Marshall said. “We can’t afford to wait and hope Arizona doesn’t face the same. This committee is focused on identifying the problems now—so our firefighters, utilities, and communities have the tools they need to be ready.”

On the agenda for the Payson meeting are presentations from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Salt River Project. The discussion will center on forest conditions, fuel management strategies, and coordination between utility companies and emergency responders—three critical components in preventing fires from igniting or spreading out of control.

But preparedness goes beyond prevention and response. A growing number of Arizona families are facing another challenge: securing and maintaining fire insurance. As wildfire risk grows, insurance providers are raising rates or pulling out of certain areas altogether, leaving homeowners in a precarious position. It’s a problem that’s gaining national attention, and one that the committee is determined to address head-on.

The Fire Preparedness Committee, though formed by House Republicans, is a bipartisan group that includes voices from across the political spectrum and the professional landscape. In addition to legislators, the committee is supported by professionals from the fields of firefighting, forestry, insurance, and local government. Their shared goal is to provide meaningful recommendations that can shape future legislation, budget priorities, and interagency collaboration.

The stakes are high for communities like Payson, which sits near forested terrain and has long dealt with wildfire concerns. Tuesday’s meeting represents an opportunity not just for experts to weigh in, but for residents to be heard. With fire seasons growing longer and more unpredictable, the committee aims to develop solutions that reflect both expert analysis and lived experience.

Representative Marshall, who serves Legislative District 7—including Pinal, Gila, Coconino, and Navajo Counties—has made wildfire readiness a top priority. His district includes some of the most at-risk areas in the state, and he’s determined to ensure that communities are not left behind as the state tackles this escalating crisis.

The committee will continue its work in the coming months and is expected to release a formal report with findings and recommendations by December 31, 2025. What comes out of that report may shape how Arizona prepares for wildfires for years to come. But for now, the focus is on listening, learning, and laying the groundwork for a safer, more resilient future.