The December 2003 Arkansas FireWise Home of the Month belongs to Pete Cancilla and his family, who live just northwest of Paragould. They have lived there less than five months, and are enjoying the beauty and safety of their new home.

The Cancilla home is a showplace for the concept of defensible space. The home is surrounded by a lean, clean and green yard on all sides, and has brick siding and asphalt shingles. Even the storage building was kept away from the main house.

The paved highway nearby and clearly marked street address make this home easily accessible to emergency service personnel.