SH
True, probably more than once.
On the news here a senior AZ fire official indicated that one reason the fire was so intense was that the brush in the area had not burned in over 40 years. He said that it needed to burn every 15 years or so.
Parts of Prescott (which we deliberately chose not to live in) are a perfect situation for one of these great disasters. If the fire on Granite Mountain 3 weeks ago had started just a 1/2 to 1 mile further south we would have lost hundreds of homes most likely. A similar fire on the southwest side of town (just a couple of miles further south than described above) could litterly burn clear across the city as it is heavily forested, rugged terrain, and densely populated. If it had not rained for 3 months and there was a strong westerly wind there would be no stopping it.