Wildfire Guide

• Sonoran Desertscrub, which is the predominant vegetation in Tanque Verde Valley, is not fire adapted. The action of clearing native species with the goal of fire prevention can have the opposite effect due to non-native species moving into the cleared area. These non-native and invasive species (Buffelgrass, Fountain Grass, etc.) have adapted to environments where fire is normal and frequent. They are highly volatile and proliferate after being burned, while Sonoran Desert species do not.
• The best way to lower fire risk is to help reduce volatile invasive species and promote non-volatile native species. Beyond selective pulling, the best way to reduce invasive species is to conserve and encourage native plants.

• Pima County Defensible Space Guidelines emphasize an Immediate or Ember-Resistant zone of 0-5 feet free of combustible material (including plants) around your home.
• Firewise recommends 100 feet of ‘defensible space’ around your home. ‘Lean, Clean, and Green’ does not mean ‘clear.’ They suggest keeping plants well irrigated and removing dead vegetative material (be cautious of disrupting wildlife habitat) within this area, as well as working with neighbors to help achieve the 100 foot radius. *Do this at your discretion; a conservationist would emphasize the importance of dead vegetation as a very necessary component of the ecosystem.
• Keeping your native vegetation intact and pulling invasives is a much more ecologically friendly way to protect your home from wildfire than clearing.

• Many home owners in Tanque Verde Valley specifically target Brittlebush or Bursage and other critical shade producing understory plants for removal during their dormancy periods, when they appear to be dead.
• Removing understory plants removes a critical layer of the desert that compromises the function of the whole. If a plant is dormant, it’s still not fire adapted and will not burn easily. Removing it will only encourage volatile invasives to move in.
• Brittlebush is a keystone species and pioneer plant integral to the healthy functioning of the native plant community and critical to bee populations. Tanque Verde Valley traditionally has substantial healthy stands of Brittlebush, however these stands are reduced year after year as it gets targeted as a fire risk.