Q&A: Southwest struggles to stem fire-fueling invasive plant

The invasive tree has an extensive root system that sucks up nearby water and leaves that leak a salt-like substance, killing native plants.

Salt cedar has the potential to grow as tall as a two-story building, with large, thick branches.

The fire department in the Phoenix suburb of Avondale fights such fires with Type III Brush truck, which is larger and sturdier than a regular fire engine and has a more extensive hose system, Capt. Steve Mayhew said.

Not only is salt cedar fueling many of the fires in the Southwest, it also is altering the environment around it by reducing wildlife habitats, agriculture and "water quality and quantity," Lloyd said.

Other methods include plowing down salt cedars with a "large lawn mower" or in rare cases, bulldozers, Lloyd said.

An unauthorized release of a Tamarisk-eating beetle in Utah was conducted in 2006 to try and kill the invasive tree, the Tamarisk Coalition said.

Government agencies are working with communities like Buckeye to assist and fund salt cedar clearing, said Dolores Garcia, fire mitigation specialist at the Bureau of Land Management.