Why firefighters were delayed in putting out fires in the Yavapai County community

PAULDEN, AZ (AZFamily) – There are renewed concerns after a fire earlier this week destroyed four homes in Paulden, a community about 25 miles north of Prescott.

Because Paulden does not have a fire department, a subscription fire department is available to respond to fires in the area. Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, or CAFMA, covers several communities in Yavapai County, including Paulden.

The houses that burned yesterday did not pay to subscribe to that service, causing firefighters to have difficulty tackling the flames.

Property taxes do not cover fire responses for people who live outside their fire district. So homeowners must pay an annual fee in exchange for fire coverage. But people in the area say many people can’t afford it.

“I’ve seen houses burn down in Paulden, while the sheriff just sees it burn down. No fire brigade in sight,” said Jane Anderson, who lives nearby.

People in Paulden say this isn’t the first time firefighters have been unable to respond to a fire. Yellowstone Road, where the fire occurred, is not part of the fire district.

Four homes burned after one caught fire Thursday; the flames spread quickly by the wind and engulfed nearby houses.

“I think it’s terrible that this happened. It had to be done. I was surprised when the third trailer caught fire and CAFMA started pouring water on it. People, when they move to rural Arizona, they assume it’s like Phoenix, you get automatic coverage and other benefits, which is not true,” Anderson said.

Anderson has lived in Paulden for decades and hopes fire will bring real change to her community.

“Has CAF(MA) decided whether to respond? Negative. They don’t have a contract,” according to the audio recording obtained by Arizona’s Family. “Maybe they can respond for the officers’ safety?”

CAFMA says one landlord owns most of these properties and has decided not to pay for fire cover. The fire department says it will not respond to homes that are out of network.

“There could be someone who is in an annexed area a mile away and if he or she is on fire or has a heart attack and is paying taxes, we are obligated to respond to them,” said Cody Rose, assistant chief of CAFMA .

Anderson says the problem is cost.

Because the landlord has not joined the district, tenants of the mobile homes there must pay a fixed amount to gain access for protection. Anderson says that’s hard to justify for the people who live there.

“Most of the people who live in that part of Paulden are very low income, okay – very, very few resources. If you’re going to choose between paying for a fire contract, which is a lofty thing, maybe you’ll take advantage of it, maybe you won’t, or put food on the table or pay for your car, you know. it’s one of those things,” Anderson said.

CAFMA says they will respond to out-of-contract homes if there are safety concerns or if someone’s life is in danger. But when everyone is out of the house and there is a fire, that’s a different story.

Those who lost their homes were not billed for the service, as crews were only fighting the fire to protect homes that were under contract.

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