BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Charlie Lewis said he’s taking action in his backyard after the largest wildfire in Texas history.
“This is prime fuel for wildfire,” Lewis said.
It’s been two weeks since the Texas A&M Forest Service reported the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Panhandle had been contained. Lewis, who serves as the Firewise head for the Campanas neighborhood, said he’s using this fire as a warning sign to limit his own community’s chances of having a wildfire spread.
“The idea of creating these zones is to slow down the wildfire, to give the fire department a chance to get ahead of the wildfire,” Lewis said.
The Firewise USA program gives people the tools to minimize the spread of potential wildfires. The Texas A&M Forest Service also recommends that residents keep their yards clean before the wildfire season.
“Neighborhoods can take control of their communities and make them fire-safe,” Gina Smith, the Cibolo Canyons Firewise chair, said.
While the Cibolo Canyons Firewise team has been around for a few seasons, this spring, the group’s new focus is saving native plants.
“In preserving the forest by getting rid of fuel for wildfire. We also want to promote and protect the good in the forest,” Lewis said.
Lewis said many native plants have adapted to be more fire-resistant and he also said they’re necessary to a healthy forest. This is just one neighborhood, but the team is looking to tackle more soon.
“It matters everywhere,” Smith said.
To read more wildfire prevention tips, click here.