Have Their Backs. Live Firewise®

Arizona is a “wildfire state,” which is another way of saying our state has a history of destructive wildfires. Summers here are hot, dry and windy--the perfect conditions for wildfires. Each year an estimated 1,500 wildfires occur in Arizona. Most are caught early by firefighters, but there’s simply no way to predict when or where the next large fire might spark.  Learn more about Wildfire Preparedness

The Wallow Fire, the largest wildfire in Arizona's history, consumed more than 538,000 acres, forced the evacuation of thousands, and damaged or destroyed 78 total structures in Apache, Greenlee, Graham and Navajo counties in 2011.  See photos of the Wallow Fire Response 

Still, the financial and emotional impacts of the Wallow Fire on people and property could have been much worse. Thankfully, according to the United States Forest Service, firefighters in the community of Alpine, Arizona, for example, were able to protect specific homes and businesses in the burn area because property owners thinned trees and brush, landscaped with fire-resistant plants, and built away from slopes and with fire-resistant materials.

Read How Fuel Treatments Saved Homes from the Wallow Fire (PDF) 

Live Firewise®

The Firewise Communities Program® is a national fire prevention and mitigation campaign that “teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses.”

Destructive wildfires pose a real threat to people who own homes and run businesses in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), a term defined as the "area where homes meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation" (Radeloff et al., 2005 PDF). Arizonans with a home and/or business in the WUI can mitigate the risk posed by wildfire.

"Living Firewise" means taking noticeable steps to reduce the impact of wildfire on lives, property and the local economy.The Firewise Communities Program advocates managing vegetation (e.g., thinning trees and bushes, and landscaping with fire-resistant plants) to create defensible space around your property, and building away from slopes and with fire-resistant materials.

As of March 2019, there are 100 Firewise communities in Arizona. The road to transforming your home or business into a Firewise property starts with these simple steps:

• Check the list of Firewise® Trees, Shrubs and Grasses (PDF) before you start your spring planting.
• Review the Homeowners' Firewise® Guide for Arizona (PDF).
• Perform a home safety inspection:
  • ​Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves and debris.
  • Trim trees that hang over your house.
  • Replace or repair loose or missing roof shingles.
  • Enclose under-eave and soffit vents or screens with metal mesh.
  • Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh.
  • Repair or replace broken windows and damaged or loose window screens.
  • Screen or box in areas below raised patios and decks.
  • Move flammable materials such as mulch or firewood piles away from exterior walls.
  • Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches such as lawn furniture.
• ​Call your local fire department to schedule a Firewise® property assessment.

Living Firewise also means being prepared for all hazards. Whether it’s a wildfire in northern Arizona, flash floods in Phoenix or extreme heat in Lake Havasu City, every Arizonan needs to take precautions; every Arizonan needs to make a family communcation  plan, build a kit and be informed.