The La Barranca II Homeowners Association in the Village of Oak Creek received its Firewise certification and accompanying signage at its entrance at the intersection of Jacks Canyon Road and La Barranca Drive on the morning of Wednesday, July 26.

“Firewise USA is a voluntary program that provides a framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community,” the National Fire Protection Association’s website states. La Barranca II is the fourth community in the Verde Valley to receive such a certification, following the Cottages at Coffeepot Homeowners Association, the town of Jerome and Verde Lakes.

All of the nearly 14,000 properties in the VOC and Sedona “have some risk of being affected by wildfire over the next 30 years” according to the website RiskFactor.com, which considered the VOC as having a major risk factor for wildfire and Sedona a severe risk, adding that the importance of defensive measures taken by VOC homeowners is likely to increase with climate change.

“[The] Village of Oak Creek is expected to see [a] 171.4% increase in the number of days over 97ºF over the next 30 years,” the website states. “Sedona is expected to see [a] 157.1% increase in the number of days over 98ºF over the next 30 years.”

Matt Rust, an assistant prevention officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, stated that VOC is at increased fire risk because of its topography and fuels.

“Looking at the topography we’re in a canyon here [at La Barranca II], and fire funnels through these types of terrain,” Rust said. “The fuel is there, the topography is there. If you had a [fire] start it definitely spread under the right conditions. There’s no doubt.”

The La Barranca Fire — started by fence welders on La Barranca Drive on June 1, 2006 — burned 836 acres in the Village of Oak Creek until it was contained on June 6, 2006, destroying one home and four secondary buildings.

Rust suggested that residents remove all dead plant material from the area surrounding their homes to help prevent the spread of potential wildfires. “That’s the defensible space, which is the home ignition zone,” Rust said.

For those interested in seeking Firewise certification, Rust said, “the first step is having a community member contact my agency, or the local fire department that they want to become a Firewise community. At that point, then contact me, I’m the regional coordinator for the Firewise program. I come out and do an initial community assessment.”

Rust carried out his assessment in January and decided that La Barranca II’s biggest risk was the relatively high amount of vegetation at that location. Overall, he concluded that the development had a moderate hazard level for wildfire.

“There are opportunities for homeowners to have an assessment done to see how they rate on [their] home protection so that you can get some ideas of how to make your home more defensible. I’m certified to do that,” La Barranca II treasurer and Firewise Committee chairwoman Lisa Holly said. “I took a training class with Firewise with the Verde Valley Fire [District]. I volunteer, I do it for my community, but I’m happy to do it for other communities or help other people and it’s just by contacting me.”

Holly can be reached at lisaholly01@gmail.com to discuss property assessments for fire risk.

La Barranca II’s future fire risk reduction will involve brush removal at three common areas in the community and the preparation of informational mailers for seasonal residents, Holly said.

“We’re trying to make our whole community defensible,” Holly said. “We’re going to partner with Sedona Fire District this fall for a Firewise event. Hopefully, we’ll partner with them and get some dumpsters in here so people get rid of their dead tree limbs and things like that and we’ll go over evacuation routes. I’m [also] working on trying to get some grants to help us clean up the area.”

With the beginning of fire season, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office has been encouraging all Yavapai County residents to sign up for the Everbridge emergency notification system.

“That’s where you will get the notifications about [fire] evacuations,” Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kristin Greene said. “It’s extremely important for people to sign up for that.”