Wildfire Risk Management

Mitigating Prescott's Greatest Risk

Fire Adapted Community Framework

A fire-adapted community (FAC) collaborates to identify its wildfire risk and works collectively on actionable steps to reduce its risk of loss. This work protects property and increases the safety of firefighters and residents. Creating a FAC is a part of the National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy to keep communities safer during a wildfire event.

Fire Adapted in 7 steps

Just as wildfires can occur anywhere in the United States, FACs can be created anywhere to help protect residents in wildfire-prone areas. Following these simple steps can help your community become fire adapted.

Wildfire Reference Materials

The Fuels Management Crew is managed by the City’s Recreation Services Department. They proactively work to prevent wildland fires by educating the public on the real threat of wildfire, reducing the threat of wildfire to the community, and assisting homeowners in the creation of defensible space on their property.

Protect Your Home

Your first defense against wildfire is to create and maintain a defensible space around your home. However this does not mean your landscape has to be barren. A defensible space is an area, either man-made or natural, where the vegetation is modified to slow the rate and intensity of an advancing wildfire. It also creates an area for fire suppression operations to occur and helps protect the forest from being involved should a structure fire occur.

Yavapai Firewise

Yavapai Firewise Wildland Urban Interface Commission is a local non-profit that works to reduce wildfire risk in Yavapai County communities through education and joint efforts among neighborhoods and relevant agencies. Wildfire is a real and ever-present danger across Yavapai County and near your home. Each resident has a role in reducing wildfire risk, helping make their neighborhood safer, and protecting their home. As we all know, the vegetation that surrounds us is continually growing and creating more dense fuel for potential wildfire. Hazardous fuels (vegetation) must be continuously managed and selectively thinned to reduce wildfire risk and the potential of loss of homes. Find additional useful information at their website at: yavapaifirewise.org

Brush Chipping Requests

Defensible space is the area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been modified to reduce the wildfire threat and to provide an opportunity for firefighters to effectively defend the house. The ever-present danger of fire in the Southwest is always a concern. People realize the importance of providing defensible space for the protection of their property. The City of Prescott Forestry Crew has trained personnel to assist the homeowner with brush disposal once the homeowner has provided defensible space. The City of Prescott Forestry Crew provides curbside chipping services every Friday. Homeowners can submit a request for these services by completing the following form: Brush Chipping Form

Mitigation Grants

The City is offering matching grants of $500 to residents of the City of Prescott. To be considered for this grant the applicant must submit an estimate of at least $1,000 worth of mitigation work and can then apply for the $500 grant. Work done should create defensible space around a home to include cutting or clearing of brush, trees, and the removal of ladder fuels. Work may only occur after confirmation of a grant award. These grants are first come, first serve after meeting the following requirements:

The property must be located in the Prescott City limits.
The property must be located in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Zone as designated by the City of Prescott.
The property must be located in a current Firewise Community.
Residents must complete the online application requirements.
The applicant must be the property owner or have the written permission of the property owner.

A representative from the Fire Department will come to the site and meet with the applicant to discuss the best way to perform mitigation work on the property. The work will need to be completed prior to receiving the matching funds and only one grant will be awarded to each successful applicant. Upon completion of the work, please fill out the “Grant Follow-Up” form to receive reimbursement.

Here is the link for the ”Grant Initial Application” – https://forms.prescott-az.gov/233454292752964

Here is the link for the “Grant Follow-Up” – https://forms.prescott-az.gov/233455204777965

Courtesy Wildfire Risk Assessments

If you have questions regarding how you should create defensible space around your home or would like a trained assessor to evaluate your home and/or property, please contact Wildfire Risk Manager Conrad Jackson at: pfd.wildfirerisk@prescott-az.gov or 928-777-1700 ext 7065. The fire department has acquired the Fire Aside platform for conducting these inspections. These reports are accessible online by the homeowner and can be used as a reference when completing work, provided to their landscaper, or even shown to their insurance provider as proof of wildfire fuel mitigation efforts.