Paulden, Arizona (AZ Family) — New concerns are emerging after a fire destroyed four homes in Paulden, a community about 40 miles north of Prescott, earlier this week.
Polden does not have a fire department, so subscriber fire services are available to respond to fires in the area. The Central Arizona Fire and Medical Agency (CAFMA) serves multiple municipalities in Yavapai County, including Paulden.
The fire brigade’s efforts to extinguish the fire were delayed because the house where the fire broke out yesterday did not pay the subscription fee for the service.
Property taxes do not apply to fire response for people living outside fire protection zones. Therefore, homeowners must pay an annual fee in exchange for fire coverage. But locals say many can’t afford it.
“I’ve seen houses burn down in Paulden, and the sheriff’s office is just watching the fire. There’s no fire department in sight,” said Jane Anderson, who lives in the area. Ta.
Paulden residents say this is not the first time the fire district has failed to respond to a fire. Yellowstone Road, where the fire occurred, is not part of the fire prevention zone.
One fire broke out on Thursday and four homes were destroyed. The flames spread quickly with the wind and consumed nearby homes.
“It’s horrible that something like this happened. It had to happen. I was surprised that when the third trailer caught fire, CAFMA started dousing it with water. When you move to a rural part of the state, you assume it’s a place like Phoenix with automatic coverage and other amenities, but that’s not true,” Anderson said.
Anderson has lived in Paulden for decades and hopes the fire will bring real change to her community.
“With CAF[MA] Have you decided whether they will respond? Negative. They don’t have a contract,” dispatch audio obtained by Arizona Family said. “Maybe you can take action for the safety of the officers?”
According to CAFMA, one landlord owns most of these properties and has decided not to pay fire insurance premiums. The fire district says it will not respond to homes outside its network.
“There might be someone in an annexed area a mile or two away. If that person has a fire or a heart attack and they’re paying taxes, we have an obligation to respond to them,” CAFMA Chief of Staff said Officer Cody Rhodes.
Anderson says the issue is cost.
Because the landlord is not affiliated with the district, renters of mobile homes there must pay a lump sum to receive 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 have very low incomes, well, very, very low incomes. If you’re going to choose to pay for a fire contract, it’s a very high But maybe you’re going to use it, maybe you’re not going to use it, or you’re going to put food on the table, or you’re going to pay for your car,” Anderson said. .
CAFMA says it will respond to off-contract housing if there are safety concerns or if someone’s life is at risk. But it’s a different story when everyone is out of the house and the fire is burning.
Because the crew was only fighting fires to protect the homes they were contracted to, those who lost their homes were not charged for their services.
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