For many, living in the foothills of Prescott Valley, a town known for its beautiful winter and summer seasons, is a dream come true. The summers are perfect for outdoor activities and the winters offer glittering snowfalls. But as good as it sounds, not many people know that the broad valley can be a nightmare during the peak season when you have to contend with wildfires.
Prescott Valley sits in an area known as the watershed which has a very low precipitation rate. It gets all its water from streams and other sources. The combination of these factors means that fires break out all too often during the peak season. While there are measures you can take to protect your home and property from fires, they are not easy to implement or protect against. However, with some foresight and preparation ahead of time, it becomes much easier to deal with. Here’s everything you need to know about wildfires if you live in Prescott Valley:
The causes of wildfires
There are five main causes of wildfires in the region:
1. Lightning strikes
2. Human activities
3. Wildfires in the area
4. Environmental factors such as drought, wind, and high temperatures
5. Natural causes such as bugs that carry fires or trees that have dried up from climate change
What you can do to protect your property
Fire prevention is the best way to protect your property from wildfires. It’s not easy, but it is possible for homeowners and small business owners. You should always be vigilant and aware of what’s going on around you and make sure that your property is well-protected from fires. Here are some things you can do:
– Have plenty of water on hand
– Take a few minutes each day to check your smoke detectors
– Make sure all doors and windows are properly secured
– Maintain any fire extinguishers in good condition
– Keep flammable materials out of areas where they can start fires easily
– Keep vegetation away from structures
With all the wildfire reports lately, it’s worth taking these few precautionary steps so that when a wildfire does hit the valley, you’re prepared to deal with it more effectively than if you had not taken these steps beforehand.
How fast a wildfire can grow
A wildfire can grow incredibly fast. In fact, a fire that starts in a forested area can reach its peak in 10 minutes or less. If you’re dealing with a wildfire, it’s important to know how fast it could be growing and the potential damage it will cause.
You should also prepare yourself for unexpected twists and turns in the blaze’s path. For instance, if you live in a town surrounded by trees, the fire could jump over to your property quickly. But given enough time and effort, you can prevent this from happening with some preparations ahead of time.
The Prescott Fire is an excellent example of what Prescott Valley residents have to deal with during the peak season. It started on June 27th in a forested area called Canyon Creek Canyon and grew incredibly fast due to its location near water sources and high-heat potential. While no lives were lost as a result of the fire, thousands of acres were destroyed as well as many homes and businesses.
Prescott Valley residents should be prepared for wildfires because they come often enough that you need to be ready when one strikes close by. The best way to do this is by taking certain precautions ahead of time such as clearing brush away from your home or fence line so that the flames have less fuel to burn down on their way through your property.
How rapidly firefighting operations can happen in Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley is in what some people call the wildfire corridor. This means that fires can spread very quickly and become difficult to contain.
An example of this happened in Prescott Valley itself back in 2012 when the Prescott Fire burned for two days straight. The fire was over a thousand acres before it was put out and had already destroyed close to 200 homes by the time it was put out. Other wildfires like this have occurred in recent years, including the North Star Fire that burned over 6,000 acres.
The Fire Behavior Index (FBIN)
To start, the FBIN is a measure of fire behavior. It’s a calculation that takes into account the severity of fires in a particular area and how it might affect structures and other environmental factors. With this measure, you can use it to understand if the fire season is particularly bad or if it will be more manageable while attempting to protect yourself against wildfires. The FBIN rates are based on different factors like fuel consumption, temperatures, and winds.
#1: Pre-plan your escape
It’s always best practice to plan ahead when there is an emergency (fire or otherwise) so you won’t be caught off guard by what you need to do for your safety. In the case of wildfire, pre-planning includes creating designated evacuation routes for your home and property as well as collecting important documents like birth certificates, passports, driver licenses and insurance policies. If your home has a pool or spa, make sure that it is easy for people to reach with water in case they have to evacuate quickly from their homes.
Fire danger ratings and the outlook for Prescott Valley in 2018/2019
As the most populous area in Arizona, Prescott Valley is at a high risk of wildfire. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has done the difficult work for us and has designated Prescott Valley as an “Extreme-High” fire danger zone. This means that in these areas, there is a severe danger of wildfires burning during the peak season. It’s not just fires that need to be considered. You also need to plan your summer activities around the potential for forest fires. To help you prepare for this, here are some things to consider:
If you live in an extreme-high fire danger zone like Prescott Valley, it’s time to make plans for what will happen if there is a wildfire during your peak season. Doing so can go a long way towards building resilience to wildfires and encourage others living in these areas to do the same thing.
Take precautions even when it’s not wildfire season
It is important to take precautions even if you don’t live in the Prescott Valley area. The good news is that there are ways to mitigate the risk of wildfires. Preparing for a wildfire means implementing systems like fire walls, fire alarms, and sprinklers. This can be a costly endeavor, but it’s well worth it when it comes time to protect your home from an inferno.
It’s also imperative that residents of Prescott Valley review their insurance policies because “wildfire” has a broader definition in the context of property coverage than in regular homes insurance policies.
Conclusion
It’s important to know what you can do to protect your property from wildfire and how to take action against wildfires when they do occur. In this blog, the author gives an overview of the causes of wildfires and discusses what you can do to protect your property.
