McLennan County is developing a wildfire protection plan that could lead to $12.5 million in support for area firefighters, public education on wildfire risks and possibly lower insurance rates for residents.
The McLennan County Commissioners Court recently adopted a resolution in support of establishing the community wildfire protection plan. Will Jones, the commissioner who proposed the initiative, will host four meetings this month to gather public opinion on the proposal.
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The county intends to submit the protection plan for a community wildfire defense grant valued at $10 million, with a 25% match requirement, Jones said. The grant program is offering millions of dollars to communities at risk of wildfires to develop and implement protection programs.
While receiving funding is not guaranteed, it is worth pursuing, Jones said.
“It’s a good process to go through whether we get awarded the grant or not,” he said. “Wildfire protection is something that is very important, especially nowadays with urban areas that are right up against rural, wild areas. Wildfires are a definite concern nowadays.”
Many areas throughout the county are susceptible to wildfires, including Cameron Park and multiple suburbs surrounding Waco, said Kiley Moran, the McGregor-based wildland urban interface coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Areas bordering Lake Waco, as well as Hewitt, Robinson and the outskirts of Bellmead, are all at a heightened risk for wildfires, Moran said.
Areas with certain types of vegetation and steeper terrain are prone to carry fires faster, Moran said. A place like Cameron Park could be prone to wildfires due to vegetation density and elevation.
“The areas that are the highest risk are in the western portions of our county where we have more junipers,” he said. “Those are very volatile when they get dried out and they cause a big a problem with control.”
Moran warned small mistakes can cause big fires.
“As we get into the summer and things start to dry out, just be extra aware of what you’re doing when you’re outdoors,” he said. “Make sure you put your coals out all the way, or when you hook your trailer up make sure your chains are up off the ground and not dragging. We’ve seen a lot of fires started from that in the last couple years.”
Jones said the plan under development will assess wildfire risks in the county, as well as detail wildfire mitigation, protection and prevention efforts. The plan could mean more funding for volunteer fire departments, Jones said.
“I’ve fought hard for the volunteer fire departments to increase their funding, and hopefully this will open up avenues for them,” Jones said.
Elm Mott Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief Chris Pechacek is one of many fire chiefs in the county providing input on the plan. He said many volunteer fire departments rely on one another for resources and are primarily funded through donations or grants. Additional grant funding through the protection plan could help departments improve training or equipment.
“As volunteers, we are always resource poor,” Pechacek said. “With the grant, the hope is there will be some resources available to help bolster our fleet and give us the tools we need to help with protecting our community from wildfire.”
While the grant could offer more resources, the funding will primarily go toward providing more water to areas in need, as well as paying for contractors to improve at-risk areas through cleanup efforts, Pechacek said.
“Us having a small budget, we rely heavily on grants to fund our department because fuel expenses are going up, our apparatus is aging daily and the repair costs do not go down, so we are trying to find some creative ways to fund and keep our department ready,” Pechacek said.
Along with the plan potentially improving emergency responses to wildfires, residents may benefit from lower insurance costs and more wildfire education. The plan should help improve Insurance Services Office fire protection ratings in the area, Jones said. Improved Insurance Services Office ratings generally result in better insurance rates for property owners.
Moran also said public education will be a primary focus of the protection plan.
“To me the most important part of this is actually the implementation of the plan, which includes public education,” Moran said.
More information on the four public meetings to discuss McLennan County’s community wildfire protection plan can be found at mclennan.gov.
WATCH NOW: Dramatic footage shows firefighters from the Fort Worth Fire Department driving through wildfire as they arrive to fight Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle. The video was filmed on Feb. 28.
