By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
As wildfires rage once again in the Western U.S., Texans are reminded of the stark devastation an out-of-control fire can cause.
Since 2000, an average 7 million acres are burned in wildfires each year, according to the Congressional Research Service. That’s more than double the average annual acreage burned in the 1990s. In 2020, more than 10 million acres of land were burned in about 59,000 wildfires.
But wildfires can be prevented, and risks can be reduced through tools like prescribed fires.
“Landowners who decide to utilize prescribed fire as a treatment method can greatly reduce fuel loads to mitigate the threat of potential wildfires,” Jake Gosschalk, Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) program specialist, said.
To assist Texas landowners and communities that face increased risks of wildland fires, TFS is accepting grant applications for the State Fire Assistances for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant through Aug. 15.
Nearly $75,000 in funding is available to conduct prescribed burns through the program. Properties in an area stretching from Far West Texas to the Hill Country to North-central Texas and up into the Panhandle are eligible to apply. Reimbursements will be for actual per-acre costs associated with conducting a prescribed burn, up to $30 per acre with a limit of 500 acres per recipient.
Although recent rains have vegetation green and lush right now, potential applicants might wish to plan for prescribed burns in the fall and winter season, when brush, grasses and other vegetation are dry and dead, Gosschalk noted.
According to TFS, 80% of wildfires in Texas occur within two miles of a community, often in what the agency calls the Wildland Urban Interface. This is an area where flammable homes are located alongside plenty of flammable vegetation, increasing the chance of devastating loss of life or property.
In response, TFS developed the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a collaborative approach to wildland fire protection and mitigation.
Landowners located within two miles of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan will receive priority status through the grant program.
More information on the State Fire Assistance for Mitigation – Plains Prescribed Fire Grant and the application process are available here.