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“Survivable space” refers to the area in which we modify our landscape designs, vegetation, building materials, and the ways we manage/maintain all of these factors so that our homes are resistant to ignition caused by wildfire.

Use the Firewise USA Program’s Arizona “Living with Wildfire” booklet to learn more about survivable space. bit.ly/4m7VEoD ... See MoreSee Less

Although we can’t control or change weather and topography, we can properly manage vegetation and the use of building materials in our landscapes and communities to reduce the risk of wildfire. Three elements contribute to a fire: weather, topography, and fuel.

1. Weather: When it’s dry, hot, and windy, it’s easier for fires to ignite and burn through fuels more rapidly, contributing to increased fire intensity. High wind speeds, in particular, can turn a small and easily controlled fire into a catastrophe in minutes.

2. Topography: Steep slopes, especially those that face south or southwest, are often drier than the surrounding landscape and are thus more likely areas for fires to ignite. Since heat rises, drainages and canyons spur on wildfires by funneling that hot rising air, similarly to a chimney.

3. Fuel: All fires require fuel. Wildland fire can be fueled by live or dead vegetation like trees, shrubs, grasses, and their debris. Buildings and their materials also become potential sources of fuel when in the vicinity of a wildfire. ... See MoreSee Less