It can be very disheartening to look out across several acres of desert that is infested with stinknet and invasive grasses. It is understandable that some folks just give and resign themselves to living in a tinderbox. Do not lose hope. Just take the first step. Then take another step. Repeat. You will be amazed on how much you can accomplish if you just start and do a little bit every day.
Priority 1: Defensible space around your home.
Priority 2: Defensible space along your driveway and access roads. When trimming trees do NOT leave the branches on the ground. This will create a hotter fire and makes it much harder to weed whack.
Priority 3: Weed the perimeter of your property.
Priority 4: Weed around your big trees and cactus. This will help save them if a fire comes thru.
Priority 5: Go back to the perimeter of your property and work inward until the entire property is free of weeds and grasses.
Priority 6: Defensible space for the neighborhood. This concept is similar to defensible space around your home – it is just on a larger scale. The goal is to defend your neighborhood from wildfires.
Big lots combined with washes create an environment that allows for fires to spread rapidly. Fires in a wash can be difficult to fight due to limited access and thick vegetation.
Best option: clear all invasive weeds and grasses.
Next best option: Use Google Earth or the Maricopa County Assessor web site to locate defensive positions that with a little work can have a huge impact on stopping the spread of a wildfire. For example: Look for properties that have a corral next to a wash. Clearing the weeds, grasses and dead vegetation from this area of the wash will give firefighters a better chance of stopping a fire from moving thru this area. This would also be a great location for fire suppression sprinklers.
Team up and pool your resources. Join with your neighbors and have a weed whacking party followed by a BBQ. Create a neighborhood fund and hire landscapers if you are not able to do the weed whacking yourself.
Statistically fires start somewhere else and invade your space. Use the Fire Safety check list (DontBurnOurHome.org) to minimize the possibility that you are the start of a fire.
Fire Suppression Sprinklers
Strategically placed sprinklers that can be quickly hooked up and turned on can help stop a fire from spreading to your home or property. Sprinklers on stand with hoses hooked up allow you to turn them on and let them do their thing with no further human interaction. Test them twice a year to make sure they are aimed in the correct direction and water flows when turned on.
