Waking up to the smell of smoke in the high desert is enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat. If you’ve stepped outside in North Scottsdale or looked toward the McDowell Mountains this morning, you might have noticed a hazy horizon. Honestly, it's that time of year when everyone starts checking their weather apps and local scanners.
The good news? There isn't a massive wall of flames threatening the suburbs right now. But that doesn't mean things are completely quiet. Dealing with fire in Scottsdale today is less about dodging active evacuations and more about understanding the complex web of prescribed burns and high-risk conditions currently hitting Maricopa County.
Why You’re Seeing Smoke Across Scottsdale
If you’re seeing a plume toward the northeast, it’s likely not a runaway wildfire. Right now, various agencies are taking advantage of the January "cool" (well, Arizona cool) to clear out the tinderbox. For instance, the Prescott National Forest has been actively working on winter pile burning as of January 14 and 15, specifically in the Bradshaw Ranger District.
When the wind shifts just right, that smoke settles into the valley. It lingers. It makes the sunsets look incredible but makes your morning jog feel like you’re breathing through a campfire.
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- Prescribed Burns: These are controlled. Fire managers like those at the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are currently running operations to prevent the kind of catastrophic events we saw during the Diamond Fire or the Wildcat Fire of 2025.
- Air Quality: The smoke from these "good fires" can still trigger alerts. If you have asthma or sensitive lungs, today is a "keep the windows shut" kind of day in Scottsdale.
- Local Incidents: While no major forest fires are ripping through the Tonto National Forest today, the Scottsdale Fire Department is always busy. On any given Thursday, they’re responding to everything from kitchen flare-ups to electrical issues in the older parts of town near Old Town.
The Fire Risk Reality in January 2026
It’s easy to get complacent when it’s not 115 degrees out. Most people think of June as the danger zone. But look at the data. Arizona is currently facing elevated fire risks because of a specific cocktail of dry winds and a surplus of dead vegetation from the last monsoon season.
Basically, the "green-up" we got a few months ago is now "brown-up." It's fuel.
We’ve seen recent tragedies nearby, like the structure fire in Peoria just two days ago that claimed the lives of an elderly couple. It serves as a grim reminder that fire doesn't need a forest to be deadly. In Scottsdale, the urban-wildland interface is where the real anxiety lives. If you live up near Troon or Whisper Rock, your backyard is essentially a fuse.
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The FDSOA (Fire Department Safety Officers Association) is actually holding a conference right now in Scottsdale, at the DoubleTree Resort on Scottsdale Road. It's a bit ironic, but they’re literally blocks away from us, discussing the latest in safety and apparatus while we keep an eye on the horizon.
How to Check if the Smoke Near You is Dangerous
Don't rely on a neighborhood Facebook group where everyone is guessing. If you want the real story on fire in Scottsdale today, you have to look at the source.
- The Scottsdale Fire Department Active Incident Dashboard: This is the most "real-time" you can get. It shows calls as they happen, though they redact medical privacy info.
- AZEIN (Arizona Emergency Information Network): This is where the state dumps all the official bulletins about pile burns and smoke advisories.
- PurpleAir or AirNow: Sometimes the "fire" is just bad air moving in from a burn 50 miles away. These maps show you the particulate matter in your specific zip code.
Protecting Your Home in the High Desert
Since we aren't currently under an evacuation order, today is the perfect day to do the "boring" prep work. Everyone talks about it; almost nobody does it until they see embers.
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Clean your gutters. Seriously. It takes twenty minutes but prevents a stray spark from a neighbor's chimney or a distant brush fire from turning your roof into a torch.
Also, check your "defensible space." If you have dry brush touching your stucco, you're giving fire a bridge. Thin it out. You've basically got to think like a fire: where would I go next? If the answer is "into that pile of dead palm fronds," get rid of them.
Actionable Next Steps for Scottsdale Residents
Instead of just refreshing your news feed, take these three concrete steps right now:
- Register for Scottsdale’s Emergency Alerts: If something actually breaks out—like a fast-moving brush fire along the Loop 101—this is how you get the text to move.
- Check Your HVAC Filters: With the current smoke from prescribed burns in the surrounding forests, your indoor air quality is taking a hit. Switch to a MERV 13 filter if your system can handle it.
- Update Your "Go Bag": January is the best time to rotate the water and snacks in your emergency kit. Check the expiration dates on those granola bars you bought two years ago.
Staying informed about fire in Scottsdale today means knowing the difference between a planned burn and a real threat. Keep your eyes on the official dashboards, but for now, you can likely breathe a little easier—just maybe not too deeply if that smoke haze keeps drifting south.