Pine-Strawberry Fire District

Predictions are heavy snow for Pine and Strawberry on Thursday and Friday which could accumulate up to 12 inches or so. Also projected are high winds that will produce deep snow drifts and puts powerlines at risk of failure and bring damage to many trees. The storm will begin on Thanksgiving Day, a holiday, and continue into Friday.

Visitors from out of town should consider avoiding Pine & Strawberry during the winter storm weather. Highway 87 north of Payson is often closed. It may take road crews two days to clear the internal streets of snowpack within to two communities. As such, visitors may not be able to get to their property, or if they arrive before the snow, may not be able to leave for two days. Loss of power if stranded in a home results in loss of heat and the inability to cook food could make life rather uncomfortable. Parking on a street will not be permitted and offenders will be cited, and vehicles could be towed if they are blocking access of emergency vehicles.

Fire Chief, Gary Morris

If Red Cross and shelters are needed, we will post when/where they are set up. As of right now, we would be planning for the Pine Community Center but that could change.

REMINDERS FOR DURING THE STORM: The storm has been predicted for over a week now, I hope you took the time to get prepared. Poor planning is not an emergency. Please reach out to family, friends, & neighbors for minor assistance if needed. First Responders need to be spared for True Emergency situations.

***Tips in prep for loss of power:
A. Make sure all of your electronic devices are charged while you have power.
B. Keep your home as warm as you can while you have heat.
C. Prep simple foods that can be eaten cold, so you have meals while power is out.
D. Make sure you have clear pathways thru-out your house to limit trips & falls in the dark or limited lighting.

***Phone numbers and locations to find out power outage and road condition information.
1. 911 is for emergencies only. Not information or road conditions.

2. The local FD's phone numbers are for emergencies and FD services only. Not return of power or road condition information.
PLEASE SAVE THESE LINES FOR TRUE EMERGENCIES.

1. AZ511.gov & and calling 511 will get you road conditions.
2. ADOTAlerts.com and the ADOT phone app will give you alerts for your area.
3. AZdot.gov/KnowSnow has great "preplanning" snow tips, do's & don'ts, and travel ideas.
4. APS is our power company, only they have the answers when it comes to power outages.
Use the APS app which has an outage map
APS.com for outage map and tips
Outage hotline 602-371-3680 and 855-688-2437
DOWNED POWERLINES--Stay away and call 602-258- 5483 if still active or fire due to downed line call 911.
5. First responder buildings all have big generators that kick in so they can still respond to true emergencies. That is why they have power when others don't. Not because they have a special "In" with APS. (You'd be surprised how many call wanting to know how the heck we have power and when will theirs be on)

WITH THE ROAD CLOSURE ALERTS.

*****Please note the road closures. Also remember, if and when the roads open and cleared and side streets are being cleared, it takes time. You must be patient. You cannot use 911 or First Responder stations to find out when your road will be cleared. ADOT and 511 are your road condition connections.