More than a dozen locals gathered on the evening of April 26 in the Dublin Community Building by First National Bank to learn about wildfire prevention in an event sponsored by Erath County Emergency Management and the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator Adam Turner led the evening, discussing the many grants available through the Forest Service to help limit the spread of potential wildfire by cutting trees and performing prescribed burns. (More information on the Prescribed Fire Grant can be found at https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/cppgrant/)
Turner spoke about how quickly wildfires can spread if the conditions are right, citing that the Big L Fire in Erath doubled in area in the first hour and the Eastland Complex also spread rapidly in its first night.
“There are not enough people in the world on nights like that to stop the fire at that moment,” Turner said.
Instead, he offered tips for homeowners on keeping the area around their property managed to help stop the rapid spread of flames with one of the biggest points being to limit the amount of flammable vegetation.
Tall grass can be disastrous in a wildfire with Turner reporting that every three inches of grass height can equal a foot in height for flames. The recommended maximum height for lawns is four inches. Homeowners should also store firewood at least 30 feet away from their house, remove dead plant and tree material and dispose of heavy accumulations of ground litter/debris.
Those considering construction should also choose ignition resistant building material and construction techniques.
Some of Turner’s tips came from Firewise USA, which describes proper steps to prepare properties for the possibility of wildfires with maintenance tips for three zones: the immediate zone (0 to 5 feet from the home, the Intermediate Zone (5 to 30 feet) and the extended zone (30 to 100 feet).
For a comprehensive guide, on these tips, visit firewise.org.
Materials were also passed out on preparing a disaster supply kit so they can be ready if people have to leave quickly in an emergency. (Check texasready.gov for the guide/tips.)
Erath County Emergency Management Coordinator Cyndi Smith also reminded that Erath residents are eligible for up to three free Kidde 10-year lithium battery smoke detectors through cooperation between Erath County Emergency Management and local fire departments.
The detectors will be installed by local firefighters. For more information, call (254) 965-1326.