The Prescott Story

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Backyards and Beyond 2006

• The Prescott Story

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Darrell Willis, Fire Chief
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Prescott

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

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Prescott

• Vegetation Prescott Basin

• Ponderosa Pine
• Heavy Chaparral FM4
• Average Rainfall 16 1/2 inches per year

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Prescott Basin Values at Risk

• 28,400 acres
• 52,000 residents
• 21,000 homes
• Assessed Value Over 3 billion dollars.

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City of Prescott Values at Risk

• 8,392 acres
• 38,180 residents
• 13,911 homes
• Assessed value of 2 billion

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PAWUIC INCEPTION

• 1990
• City Manager
• Chairman of Yavapai County Board or Supervisors
• Prescott National Forest Supervisor

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Key Agencies

• Prescott National Forest

• Arizona State Land Department

• City of Prescott Fire Department

• Central Yavapai Fire District

• Yavapai County Emergency Management Department

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Beginning Steps

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

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Cooperative Efforts
We do not do it alone
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Participating Agencies

• Prescott National Forest

• Arizona State Land Department

• City of Prescott Fire Department

• Central Yavapai Fire District

• Yavapai County Emergency Management Department

• Prescott Police Department

• Yavapai County Sheriffs Department

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It all starts with a relationship
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Continues With A Plan
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Operations Plan

• Incident Notification
• Resource Management
• Communications
• Operating guidelines
• Evacuation procedures
• Updated annually

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Specialized Equipment

• Structure Protection Trailer
• Wood Chippers
• Yavapai County Chipper Crew
• Defensible Space / Fire Crew

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Timber Ridge
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First Firewise Subdivision

• Timber Ridge
• Pilot Firewise Project
• 5th anniversary
• Overlapping Home Ignition Zones

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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

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Other Successful Subdivisions

• Kingswood
• Highland Pines
• Government Canyon
• Eagle Ridge
• Rancho Vista
• The Ranch
• Haisley
• Hidden Valley
• Yakashaba

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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

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Treatment Areas
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Defensible Space
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The Solution
Reduce Vegetative Fuels Reduce Structural
Fuels Reduced Fire Problem
First in Arizona to Adopt U/W/I Code 2000
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The Solution

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

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Defensible SpaceHome Factors

• Roofing Material
• Construction Material
• Slope of property
• Topography
• Size Type Vegetation on Property

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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

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Wildfire Risk Reduction Services

• Original Brush Crew
• Foreman
• 2 Saw Operators
• 2 Equipment Operators
• 6 Brush Haulers
• Cleared Private Property
• Summer seasonals

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Wildfire Risk Reduction Services

• Risk Assessments
• Reduce residential fuel loads
• Free Chipping
• Brush Work Crew
• SFA Grant 50/50
• 10 FTEs

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Wildfire Risk Reduction Services

• Wildland Fire Risk
• Hazard Severity Assessment
• Preplan Mapping

Before
After
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Wildfire Risk Reduction Services

• New Construction
• Must Comply with 2003 U/W/I Code
• Provide Vegetation Management Plan
• Site Inspection of Property

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Wildfire Risk Reduction Services

• Diseased Tree Removal Program
• Removed gt 10,000 Ponderosa Pine Trees

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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
• 4 - 2 Person Saw Teams
• 6 - Firefighters
• 2 - Crew Representatives

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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

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Means of Fuel Reduction
Mechanical
After
Before
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Means of Fuel Reduction
By Hand
After
Before
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OngoingEducational Efforts

• Annual Town Hall
• Homeowner Groups Annual Contact
• Reminders to Residents
• Public Education

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Website Locations

• www.regionalinfo-alert.org
• www.fire.cityofprescott.net
• www.firewise.org

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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

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New Programs

• Community Wildfire Protection Plan
• Prescott Basin
• Surrounding Communities
• 1 million acres
• 6.6 Billion in structures

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New Programs

• Project Learning Tree
• University of Arizona Extension Service
• Local Schools

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Lessons Learned

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

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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

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