CONVERSE, Texas — The recent wildfires in California are a constant reminder of the impact such a massive fire can have on a community. Even here in Texas, we remember the devastating fires in Bastrop just a few years ago.
That’s why one neighborhood in Converse is partnering with their fire department to reduce the risk of fast moving fires.
Converse Fire Chief Luis Valdez has seen firsthand the devastating effects of fires. “Sometimes it’s just right behind us, right where we live,” he said.
Valdez is working with neighbors in the Miramar subdivision in Converse to prevent those fires from happening.
“This is about finding a way to where we live together with nature,” Valdez said.
A lot of those fire hazards are lurking behind the fences at homes in Miramar.
“We pulled 16 tons of trash out of our greenbelts,” HOA president Doretta Olsen said.
Olsen is leading up the efforts in her community, where teams have been cleaning up brush and debris from behind the homes.
Dead branches, leaves, and low-lying branches can be fuel for a fire.
Valdez said the opened areas provide room for fire trucks to access the area behind the homes, and it helps prevent a potential fire from spreading.
“We’re bringing our environment back to the way it was when it was new,” said Olsen.
Valdez said the team is working together to obtain the National Fire Protection Association Wildfire and Firewise Designation.
“It's a best practice designation that a city or community can earn by basically managing the spaces between wild land and urban interfaces,” he said.
Valdez said another incentive to implementing the Firewise program is keeping a few more dollars in your pocket. He said some companies will offer homeowners a discount when their community is recognized through the NFPA program.
It’s a community effort to reduce the risk of fires, and keeping families safe.
“It's got to be the entire community to believe in it, to want to do it, and to work together,” said Valdez. “It's a lot of work but the payoff is huge."