4C

These are the large southwestern desert communities that include Phoenix, AZ; Palm Springs, CA; and Las Vegas, NV.

There is a mix between demographic advantage and stress that brings a contrast in the community. The communities are located near large non-forested natural. Most of the federal ownership is by Bureau of Land Management. With this being mainly Fire Regime Group V, prevention can be the emphasis in extreme weather and during drought conditions. There is a limited history of prescribed fire but it could be considered as an option.

Example of a Typical County — Clark County, Nevada: This large county includes Las Vegas and burned infrequently historically. Large fires have occurred here in 2005 and 2006.

National Priorities

Vegetation and Fuels Moderate
Homes, Communities and Values at Risk High
Human-Caused Ignitions Low
Effective and Efficient Response:
Counties in this combo have high risk to large wildfires, but some have less potential than others for resource benefits.

Policy Options and Opportunities

Vegetation and Fuels
These counties may have contiguous areas that could benefit from the use of landscape-scale prescribed fire. There may be limited areas within these counties where wildland fire use could be considered for restoring landscapes, but planners need to be aware of the conflicts with communities.

Homes, Communities and Values at Risk
Individual homeowners can be proactive on home defensive actions. Communities can plan and take coordinated action, in combination with individual actions by property owners. This can include the creation of buffers and strategic fuel breaks. These counties could adjust building and construction codes in municipal areas.

Human-Caused Ignitions
Reduce accidental human-caused ignitions through the enforcement or outreach.

Effective and Efficient Wildfire Response
Prepare for large, long duration wildfires. Protect structures and target prevention of ignitions.

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