Twin wildfire sessions offer vital information to Kerr County property owners

Crowds of local property owners showed up last week to learn from the Texas A&M Forest Service about protecting their homes and land from wildfires.

Hosted by Kerr County, Texas, the twin informational sessions drew nearly 200 people to the Hill Country Youth Event Center to learn about wildfire prevention and how mitigation efforts might qualify them for grant support.

***An additional set of programming is planned in February. Stay tuned for more information!

"It was awesome to see so many people interested in learning about this very timely topic," said Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. "Dub" Thomas.

PHOTOS:
James Ward, of the Texas A&M Forest Service, offers key information to local residents on how to protect their properties and land from wildfires. With the out-of-control blazes that have recently devastated many portions of California, the threat is at the forefront of many minds in the Texas Hill Country. So much so, that the topic drew a good turnout (bottom photo) on Jan. 23 at the Hill Country Youth Event Center. -- Photos by Lisa Walter/Kerr County Public Relations

In addition to learning about how to burn debris safely, fire-resistant landscaping, wildfire preparedness such as creating defensible spaces around structures, planning evacuation routes and more, folks in attendance learned the following:

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬:

• 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐬 - Monitor local burn bans and other restrictions that may apply to your residential area.

• 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 - Always be aware of local weather conditions and fire activity. Heed warnings from local emergency officials.

• 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Build a "GO" kit that accounts for the 5 Ps -- people and pet supplies, prescriptions, papers, personal needs and priceless items.

• 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 - Create defensible space to help your home survive a wildfire, and to provide safer access for firefighters.

• 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟗-𝟏-𝟏 - Be an alert, good neighbor! Report any fires or suspicious activity you see. Early detection is critical and can help firefighters respond quicker.