I took a couple of images from approximately the center of the back property line in the “unimproved” part of our property this afternoon. I combined the images into this panoramic image using Canon’s ZoomBrowser Photo Stitch software.
The image from left to right shows the west corner of the house at the left and gradually sweeps to the right to cover Damsel’s cactus and rock garden, the southwest property corner, the little wash with all the natural desert vegetation and the several neighbors buildings in the distance. The northwest property corner (circled in red) is just above the bottom of the wash below and approximately halfway between neighbor’s house on the hill (right of center with the flags) and the house with the Spanish tile roof on the right side. Click on the image to enlarge.
Looking at all that brush, aren’t you worried about fire danger?
I can’t say that fire danger hasn’t crossed our mind, especially after the disaster last summer in Yarnell, just 20 miles from here. The reality is that there is a lot of dead wood that should be removed and the brush is mostly succulent in nature here in the high desert but not like Yarnell which is close to 5000 feet MSL where conifers and underbrush thrive and get dry in the summer. Moreover, there is a 30 foot clearance between the house and the brush.
In addition, the Wickenburg Fire House is a half mile away and we have both hose bibs in the rear each connected to hoses with power spray nozzles just in case. The nearest hydrant is 150 feet east on the dirt road.