“The Prescott Story” Backyards and Beyond 2006

Darrell Willis, Fire Chief

Prescott  Central AZ Highlands  Elevation 5300 Feet  Nestled in a Basin  Surrounded by National Forest & Undeveloped State Land  Prevailing SW Winds

Prescott  Ponderosa Pine  Heavy Chaparral FM4  Average Rainfall 16 1/2 inches per year Vegetation Prescott Basin

 28,400 acres  52,000 residents  21,000 homes  Assessed Value Over $3 billion dollars. Prescott Basin Values at Risk

City of Prescott Values at Risk  8,392 acres  38,180 residents  13,911 homes  Assessed value of $2 billion

PAWUIC INCEPTION  1990  City Manager  Chairman of Yavapai County Board or Supervisors  Prescott National Forest Supervisor

Key Agencies  Prescott National Forest  Arizona State Land Department  Central Yavapai Fire District  City of Prescott Fire Department  Yavapai County Emergency Management Department

Beginning Steps  Improve cooperation between all fire agencies  Joint Exercises  Educate Community  Wildfire Town Meeting  Defensible Space Sign Placement

Cooperative Efforts We do not do it alone

Participating Agencies  Prescott National Forest  Arizona State Land Department  Central Yavapai Fire District  City of Prescott Fire Department  Yavapai County Emergency Management Department  Prescott Police Department  Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department

It all starts with a relationship

Continues With A Plan

 Incident Notification  Resource Management  Communications  Operating guidelines  Evacuation procedures  Updated annually Operations Plan

Specialized Equipment  Structure Protection Trailer  Wood Chippers  Yavapai County Chipper Crew  Defensible Space / Fire Crew

Timber Ridge

First Firewise Subdivision  Timber Ridge  Pilot Firewise Project  5th anniversary  Overlapping Home Ignition Zones

Timber Ridge  Projects to do  Reduce Fuel  Thin out Ponderosa Pines  Clear Easements  Replace flammable roofs with non-flammable alternatives  Keep area free of vegetation debris  Cover Roof Vents  Treat Common Areas

Other Successful Subdivisions  Kingswood  Highland Pines  Government Canyon  Eagle Ridge  Rancho Vista  The Ranch  Haisley  Hidden Valley  Yakashaba

Successful Subdivisions  Firewise Requirements  Sponsor Firewise task force  Enlist wildland urban interface specialist to create solution  Invest minimum of $2.00 annually per capital in Firewise Program  Observe a Firewise Community Day  Submit an annual report to Firewise  Recertified in 2005

Treatment Areas

Defensible Space

The Solution Reduce Vegetative Fuels + Reduce Structural Fuels = Reduced Fire Problem First in Arizona to Adopt U/W/I Code 2000

The Solution  International Urban-Wildland Interface Code  City of Prescott recently adopted the 2003 code  2006 version will be adopted in January 2007

Defensible Space Home Factors  Roofing Material  Construction Material  Slope of property  Topography  Size & Type Vegetation on Property

Defensible Space Management Zone  Zone 1  10’ Around Structure  Clear all Flammables  Zone 2  30’ Around Structure  Fuel Reduction  Zone 3  Extend to Property Line  Thin Trees/Shrubs  10’ between crowns

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  Original Brush Crew  Foreman  2 Saw Operators  2 Equipment Operators  6 Brush Haulers  Cleared Private Property  Summer seasonals

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  Risk Assessments  Reduce residential fuel loads  Free Chipping  Brush Work Crew  SFA Grant 50/50  10 FTE’s

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  Wildland Fire Risk  Hazard Severity Assessment  Preplan Mapping Before After

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  New Construction  Must Comply with 2003 U/W/I Code  Provide Vegetation Management Plan  Site Inspection of Property

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  Diseased Tree Removal Program  Removed > 10,000 Ponderosa Pine Trees

Wildfire Risk Reduction Services  Fuels Management Crew  Clears vegetation  NWCG Qualified  Type l Crew  21 PERSONNEL 1 - Crew Supervisor 1 - Crew Captain 2 - Squad Bosses Person Saw Teams 6 - Firefighters 2 - Crew Representatives

3 Year Mitigation Results  25% of Homes Treated  7100 Acres  4,600 Homes  12,500 Citizens Protected  12,600 tons of slash has been disposed of

Means of Fuel Reduction Before After Mechanical

Means of Fuel Reduction Before After By Hand

Ongoing Educational Efforts  Annual Town Hall  Homeowner Groups Annual Contact  Reminders to Residents  Public Education

Website Locations   

New Programs  HFEDT: Healthy Forest Economic Development Team  Encourage development of local forest products industry  Scaled to local forest yields of various types of biomass  Business Ideas  Small Scale Milling  Power Generation  Commercial Heating Projects  Wood Pellet Production

New Programs Community Wildfire Protection Plan  Prescott Basin  Surrounding Communities  1 million acres  $6.6 Billion in structures

New Programs  Project Learning Tree  University of Arizona Extension Service  Local Schools

Lessons Learned  We are dealing with a continuous process  Patience and Persistence  Neighborhood Advocates are essential  Proof that mitigation works

Reasons for Success  Strong Support of member agencies  Strong Support of local organizations  Homeowner Organizations  Unpaid, Dedicated, Hard-Working Volunteers  NASA/Prescott College sustainability project  Strong Support of local companies  Arizona Public Service  University of AZ Extension Service  State Farm Insurance  CommSPEED

Indian Fire

Questions & Answers? PAWUIC Cooperative efforts Firewise Community Involvement Education Defensible Space UWIC 2003