Homeowners' Guide to Living with Wildfire

Much of the Southwest is considered a high-hazard fire environment. Based on recent history and experience, these areas possess all of the ingredients necessary to support large, intense, and uncontrollable wildfires. Within this hazardous environment are individual houses, subdivisions, and entire communities. Many homeowners, however, are ill-prepared to survive an intense wildfire. It is not a question of if a wildfire will occur, but when. As such, the odds of losing human life and property are growing. Our ability to live safely in this fire environment depends on pre-fire activities. These are actions taken before a wildfire occurs that improve the survivability of people and homes. The National Firewise ® Communities USA program, administered by the State Forester, helps communities to pursue a comprehensive approach to having a Firewise® community. The look of our Southwestern forests has changed dramatically during the Twentieth Century. In many instances, trees are smaller but are far more numerous. This situation has led to destructive fires in recent years. The build-up of fuel, coupled with recent insect and disease outbreaks, has greatly increased potential for severe wildfires. Climatic factors such as drought and warmer temperatures also play an important role. This guide provides the homeowner with an effective approach to prevent home ignition in the event of wildfire, built on the Survivable Space concept (see Frequently Asked Questions on pg. 20-21). It features a series of management zones with prescribed treatments, graphic summaries for protecting a home from wildfire, and a checklist of pre-fire activities. The reader will also find the wildfire emergency guidelines useful