Information on the Firewise program in Lockett Ranches
How to improve your preparedness
- Evaluate the fire-protection improvements you can make to the area around your home. Start by reading these handy Firewise tips.
- If you own a thickly wooded parcel, consider selective thinning of trees and ladder-fuel brush to restore the more open appearance and lower tree density of a naturally fire-tolerant ponderosa forest. For details on how to mitigate your property’s fire danger, you can sign up for a free homeowners Lot Review with a local Firewise representative by calling Adam Whitman at Sterling Real Estate Management, 928-773-0690.
- Be aware of the area’s current wildfire danger by signing up for Coconino County Emergency Notifications
- Get familiar with the Ready, Set, Go Fact Sheet from the Arizona Sheriff’s Association.
- Check out NAU’s Guide to Fire Safety and Native Landscaping for homeowners.
External Information Links
Lockett Ranches is one of 114 Arizona communities that are part of the Firewise USA program, including 12 in Coconino County.
| Community | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Continental | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Forest Highlands | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Kachina Village | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Linwood Heights HOA, | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Lockett Ranches | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Munds Park | Munds Park, | Coconino County |
| Pine Canyon | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Sherwood Forest Fire District | Williams | Coconino County |
| Stoneman Lake | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| Sunset Vista Estates | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
| The Meadows, Flagstaff | Flagstaff | Coconino County |
Fighting Back Against Bark Beetles
You probably have noticed a number of browning ponderosa pines around Lockett Ranches lately. Some of this is due to our region’s prolonged drought, which has resulted in significant tree stress. As this browning of needles at their tips (so called “fade”) spreads, it can be a sign of outright tree mortality from bark beetle infestations. This occurs much more often in dry conditions because of reduced sap flow that the trees normally use to protect themselves from beetles and accompanying fungal infections that begin to shut off the flow of nutrients and moisture to the trees.
Once trees begin to perish due to beetle infestation, they must be taken down and hauled away to prevent the further spread of the bark beetles to nearby trees and to reduce the associated fire hazards to buildings and to other properties. This can be an expensive process if hired out, and if undertaken by the owner it is also very labor intensive and requires skill to avoid causing unintentional problems.
Resident Steve Vargas decided to remove eight infested trees on his lot after noticing that they were dying. With the help of neighbor Kevin Conto, a sawyer in his younger days, these trees were cut down, sawed into pieces, loaded into a trailer, and taken to the green-waste disposal site at the City of Flagstaff’s Cinder Hills Landfill. (Note: there is no charge to homeowners for disposal of green waste at the landfill, but the city does not consider pine needles and leaves to be green waste.)
Steve is consulting with local arborists on how best to deal with other trees on his lot that are beginning to show signs of stress and to protect those that remain healthy. Steve has also decided to get a Firewise Lot Review done on his property, to identify other opportunities to reduce fire risk around his lot.
For more information on how to get a free Lot Review done for your property, see the Firewise Community Education presentation on our webpage or contact Adam Whitman at Sterling Management (928-773-0690).
The Fire Board greatly appreciates the effort Steve and Kevin made to take care of the dead trees on Steve’s property. Doing so improves the health of our forest and reduces fire risk for the community as a whole.
A note about taking down trees in Lockett Ranches: Please remember that a Plan Review Submittal Application is required for approval prior to any tree removal on lots within Lockett Ranches.
– John Noll, April 2021
