Smart winter yardwork: Create a wildfire defensible space around your home

As cooler weather settles in and deciduous trees go dormant, winter offers the perfect opportunity to prune and prepare your landscape for the next wildfire season. A few simple steps now can help protect your home and make your yard more resilient to wildfire.

Wildfire is a reality in Yavapai County

Whether you live in the pines, piñon-juniper woodlands, grasslands or in an urban subdivision, we all share responsibility for reducing wildfire risk. Yavapai County follows Firewise USA recommendations — guidelines designed to create landscapes that are both fire-resilient and attractive. Those guidelines are defined by defensible space zones.

Defensible space is the buffer between your home and the potential path of wildfire. It can include plants, patios, driveways, fencing and walkways. Defensible space does not mean a barren gravel yard — it means having the right plants in the right places to slow fire spread.

Defensible space zones explained

Immediate zone (0–5 feet) – Starts at your home’s foundation. Avoid dry grass, stacked firewood and highly flammable plants such as juniper. Use rock or other non-combustible hardscape, or low-growing, irrigated ground covers, succulents or perennials.

Intermediate zone (5–30 feet) – If your property is on a slope, extend this zone farther downslope. Choose shrubs and trees with low resin content and space small trees so that edges are about 10 feet apart. Trim grasses and perennials after the growing season to reduce fuel buildup.

Extended zone (30 feet to property line) – This area can include larger trees and shrubs. Prune branches on large trees 6 to 10 feet above the ground, remove dead wood and maintain spacing to prevent fire from spreading between plants.

Get a free property assessment

Many local fire departments and fire districts offer free, defensible-space assessments. Take advantage of this service to identify priorities and develop an action plan tailored to your property’s topography and vegetation. Recommendations are based on the Firewise zone system and local conditions.

The cost to fight a wildfire is about 23 times the cost of preventive Firewise mitigation, according to Yavapai County Firewise, a collaborative organization tasked with helping homeowners and land managers prepare for wildfires.

Find Firewise resources

The Yavapai County Master Gardener Firewise Committee developed an online resource hub to help Yavapai County residents plan fire-safe landscapes. The site includes:

• Common questions about wildfire preparedness
• Fire-resistant and fire-prone plant list of local species
• Community resources, including grants and neighborhood speakers
• Lists of landscapers trained in defensible-space practices
• Link to Yavapai Firewise, the county’s lead program in wildfire risk reduction

Another low-moisture year

Drought continues to stress both native and landscape plants across Yavapai County. Even fire-resistant plants become more flammable when dry or dying. Plants need moisture — even during winter months. Without rain or snow, supplemental watering is recommended once a month.

Apply the same amount of water per irrigation as in the growing season, but less frequently. Focus on high-value trees and shrubs or native specimens near your home. Healthy, hydrated plants are more resistant to both drought and fire. 

Need help?

Master Gardener Help Desks can provide irrigation, Firewise guidance and plant selection tips.

Prescott
840 Rodeo Drive, Building C
928-445-6590, Ext. 2
prescottmg@gmail.com 

Camp Verde
2830 N. Commonwealth Drive, Suite 103
928-554-8992
verdevalleymg@gmail.com 

Office hours, both locations: Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m.