Fueling Concerns: Arizona Voters Push for Forest Management Over Firefighting
- Noble Predictive Insights
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
Burning Issue Signals a Prevention First Mandate for Wildfire Policy
PHOENIX (September 6, 2025)- Arizona voters are sounding the alarm on wildfires, with overwhelming concern cutting bylines. The latest Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) from Noble Predictive Insights (NPI) shows that while Arizonans recognize efforts the state has made, many still believe there are serious gaps in wildfire preparedness. What voters want most is not simply more firefighting resources or rebuilding assistance after flames are out, but stronger long-term prevention through better land and forest management.
This AZPOP, conducted from August 11–18, 2025, surveyed 948 registered voters in Arizona, yielding a margin of error of ± 3.18%.
Wildfire Concern is Overwhelming and Bipartisan
Concern about wildfires proves nearly universal across Arizona's political landscape. An impressive 78% of Arizona voters say they are concerned about recent wildfires in the state, with worry transcending traditional party boundaries in remarkable fashion. Republicans and Democrats show identical levels of alarm at 82% each, while 70% of Independents express similar concern.
This widespread anxiety extends across age groups as well, demonstrating sustained worry across generations: 80% of voters aged 65+ and 76% of voters aged 18-29 express concern about recent wildfire activity.
Educational attainment appears to correlate with wildfire concern levels – college graduates and postgraduates both register 82% concern levels, compared to 68% of those with a high school degree or less. This educational gradient may indicate that higher levels of formal education correlate with increased awareness of environmental threats and their long-term implications.
State Fire Preparedness is Viewed as Inadequate
Despite broad recognition that wildfires represent a pressing threat to Arizona communities, few residents believe the state stands adequately prepared to handle future emergencies. Only 18% of voters say Arizona is well prepared for future wildfire emergencies, revealing a significant confidence gap between the magnitude of concern and faith in current readiness levels. The majority of Arizona voters (52%) believe the state maintains some level of preparation but with, while 21% say Arizona is not prepared at all for future wildfire challenges.
Republicans (22% well prepared) and Democrats (21%) are slightly more optimistic than Independents (12%), suggesting differing perceptions of state leadership.
Voters Prefer Long-Term Prevention Over Short-Term Reaction
When asked about priorities for addressing wildfire threats, Arizona voters clearly prefer proactive prevention strategies over reactive emergency measures. A substantial 43% identify improving forest and land management as the top priority for state wildfire policy, reflecting widespread frustration with approaches that focus primarily on responding to fires after they start.
This prevention-first preference maintains strength across partisan divisions, though with varying levels of intensity among different political groups. A majority of Republicans, at 53%, point to prevention as their primary concern, while 41% of Democrats and 35% of Independents also list forest and land management as their top priority, showing cross-partisan agreement on prevention.
In stark contrast to prevention priorities, reactive measures garner far less support among Arizona voters. Only 23% prioritize increased firefighting funding, while just 15% focus on post-fire recovery assistance for affected communities and businesses. This distribution reflects broader frustration with approaches that emphasize responding to wildfire damage rather than preventing fires from becoming catastrophic in the first place.
The emphasis on prevention over reaction underscores a deeper sentiment among Arizona voters: they want state leaders to get ahead of wildfire problems rather than continue scrambling to address emergencies after fires break out and spread across the landscape.
“Wildfires touch every community in Arizona, and voters are telling us they do not think the state is ready enough for what lies ahead,” said Mike Noble, NPI Founder & CEO. “What is most striking is the consensus. Whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent, voters overwhelmingly want prevention to be the top priority.”
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Methodology: This poll was conducted as an online opt-in panel survey. The survey was completed by Noble Predictive Insights from August 11–18, 2025 from an Arizona statewide registered voter sample. The sample demographics were weighted to accurately reflect gender, region, age, party affiliation, ethnicity, and education according to recent voter file data, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, and recent Census data. The sample size was 948 registered voters, yielding a MoE of ± 3.18%. Numbers may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Media Contact:
Veronica Sutliff, Noble Predictive Insights, v.sutliff@npredictive.com, (602) 390-5248
About Noble Predictive Insights: As a nonpartisan public opinion polling, market research, and data analytics firm, Noble Predictive Insights exists to transform how leaders make decisions by delivering data-based solutions and predictive insights that provide a clear path forward. We bridge the gap between research and strategy with customized strategic research, a hyper-focus on impact, and being true partners with our clients. Noble Predictive Insights (formerly OH Predictive Insights) is a 2023 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company in the Southwest region, and is ranked in the top 15 most accurate pollsters as well as in the top 5 for lowest average bias in the 2021-22 election cycle by FiveThirtyEight. For more information, please call (602) 326-5694 or visit our website at www.noblepredictiveinsights.com.
