AgriLife Extension offers ranchers, landowners wildfire preparation tips
AMARILLO – With the wildfire season really heating up, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering several fact sheets to help homeowners prepare for and mitigate wildfire damages.
“We had a fabulously wet spring, we grew a lot of grass and now it has been dry,” said Tim Steffens, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range management specialist in Canyon. “These little rains we’ve been having aren’t going to change that until we have a good snow on the ground.”
Wildfires burning in the thousands of acres have already dotted the High Plains, Rolling Plains, Central and West Texas.
“Fire is an imminent danger, and people need to get ready for it, understanding that any particular day they could have a fire come their way,” Steffens said.
Two publications covering wildfire behavior and emergency responses that can help protect property and lives when wildfire occurs are offered by Steffens and Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, San Angelo.
Wildfire Behavior and Emergency Response and Safeguarding Against Wildfire are available in the AgriLife Extension Bookstore under the search term “wildfire.”
Treadwell also has a Wildfire Ready Checklist fact sheet to help landowners develop a profile specific to their property.
Steffens said ranchers can start with fuel breaks of any kind.
“Grazing them in, with the use of temporary fencing, is really my preference,” he said. “Disking or blading opens the land up to more erosion than if you graze it out, but it is better than nothing. These will stop small fires starting out in the ditch along the roadway, but when high winds and low humidity combine to push a wildfire, a 20- to 30-foot firebreak won’t stop it.”
Steffens said doing some strategic grazing and moving cattle from one pasture to another will help manage fuels one pasture at a time.
“This will make sure your cattle will have somewhere to go for protection,” he said. “Moving them into a pasture they just came out of when a fire occurs allows them to get away from the high heat and flames.”
He said the best plan is to “plan ahead,” so if you have cropland as well as rangeland when March and April come around, the livestock can be pastured near a plowed field where they can escape a wall of fire onto dirt.
“That way you have somewhere for them to go pretty quickly,” Steffens said.
Another piece of advice is to start fireproofing the headquarters as much as possible. Put in gravel where possible, keep the weeds low and make sure nothing is piled alongside the house or buildings. More information is offered in the publications.
“In our bulletin, we talk about how you need to have a lot of caliche if you can, where there is nothing growing around the headquarters,” Steffens said. “If you can get all the equipment there, then the fire may burn around it, but those items can be safe.
“Also, if the fire season really heats up, it won’t be a bad idea to get family heirlooms gathered up and put things where you can grab them up and get out quickly.”
Treadwell said prescribed burning can be an effective tool to protect headquarters or structures from future wildfires.
“Decreasing and/or removing fine fuel loads surrounding homes, barns, hay storage or other structures is one of the most effective ways to combat wildfires, especially fast-moving, wind-driven fires,” she said.
Prepping roads or perimeter fire breaks with burnout operations widens the fire break and provides an extra buffer from lofting embers from an active fire.
But Treadwell warns that any prescribed fire or burnout operation this time of year needs to be thoroughly thought out and successfully executed within appropriate weather conditions.
“Start early and have adequate personnel and equipment to handle the planned operation,” she said. “Proper notifications to county and state resources need to occur and, always check for local county burn ban status.”
For a complete list of wildfire-related documents concerning preparation, mitigation and recovery, go to: http://texashelp.tamu.edu/004-natural/fires.php.
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Texas Lawn Companion – Summer 2019 Edition
Here is what you’ll find in this issue:
- General Summer Management Recommendations and a Few New Publications to Help You
Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – College Station - Bermudagrass Selection for Athletic Fields in the Transition Zone
Dr. Chrissie Segars, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Dallas - Summer Pest Considerations and New Herbicide Selection Guide for Homeowners
Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – College Station - The Need to Overseed
Dr. Chrissie Segars, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Dallas - AggieTurf Research First Look: Sand-capped Fairways
Will Bowling, Texas A&M University – College Station
Native Plant Society of Texas Announcement
The Native Plant Society of Texas has announced 16 landscaping classes this fall at 9 different locations around the state. The one-day classes are part of the Native Landscaping Certification Program, a series which teaches best practices for native plant landscaping – including wildlife habitat gardening. Read more here: https://npsot.org/wp/story/2019/11304/
Click through to the class list to find a class and register.
https://npsot.org/wp/nlcp/
Classes scheduled from 8/31 thru 11/16
“Homegrown Tomatoes”
Enjoy this bit of gardener levity today. This 45 single came out in 1983, by Guy Clark.
AgriLife Extension reminding Texans to be prepared during hurricane season
COLLEGE STATION – With heavy rains, strong winds and flooding expected along the Texas Gulf Coast, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is urging Texans to make emergency and disaster preparations for themselves and their families this hurricane season.
“It’s vital that Texans, especially those in coastal areas, take the time to prepare for the possibility of flooding, high winds and hurricanes this time of year,” said Dr. Monty Dozier, AgriLife Extension special assistant, College Station. “Hurricane season in the Atlantic and the Caribbean begins around June and typically continues through November.”
Dozier said Texans can begin to prepare for a hurricane by following the advice provided in disaster and emergency preparedness publications available through the Texas Extension Disaster Education Network website, Texas EDEN, at http://texashelp.tamu.edu. Additional information on disaster preparation is available through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore at https://www.agrilifebookstore.org/.
There are also e-book format downloads available for mobile devices.
Dozier said a few of the most immediate steps a family can take would be to prepare and practice a family emergency plan along with preparing “disaster kits” for the home, office and vehicle.
“These kits should contain enough supplies to last a family at least three days,” he said. “They should be ready to go in the event inclement weather leads to the necessary evacuation of coastal areas.”
Dozier said kit contents should include bottled water, non-perishable foods, a hand-operated can opener, mouth/nose protection masks, extra clothing, a first-aid kit, gloves, blankets, toiletries, battery- or hand-powered flashlight, weather radio, spare batteries, garbage bags, medications and anti-bacterial cleaners or wipes.
He said if there are also family pets needing to be evacuated, a pet emergency kit should also be a part of disaster readiness.
“Some of the items you need to collect for this kit would include the pet’s veterinary records and medications, a towel or blanket and at least three day’s food and bottled water for each pet. Also bring a hand-held can opener and first-aid kit. If you have cats, bring litter and a litter pan. And be sure to take a pet carrier, leash or harness in the event your pet suddenly panics and tries to run away.”
He also suggested pet owners try to locate any pet boarding facilities in their area or along their proposed evacuation route in the event pets need to be relocated for a longer period of time.
“Most kennels, vets and animal shelters will want to see your pet’s vaccination and medical records, which is why it’s important to include these in your pet emergency kit,” he said. “If this isn’t an option, identify family or friends outside of your immediate area who would be willing to host your pets in an emergency. Also identify neighbors, friends or relatives who can evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.”
It’s also a good idea to prepare a grab-and-go box containing important documents and financial records in the event of an emergency situation, Dozier said.
The AgriLife Extension publication “Personal and Family Financial Records Inventory,” available on the AgriLife Bookstore website, provides guidance on how to consolidate personal and family financial information.
“There are many steps people can take to get ready for a disaster or emergency, and our AgriLife Extension publications offer some practical and useful guidance on how to prepare,” Dozier said. “We hope Texans will use this time to prepare themselves and their families for a possible emergency.”