WILDFIRES: Protect your home from wildfires. We'll tell you 
how ... coming up on Passport to Texas ... 
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Texans saw first hand how fire can get out of control in a 
big way, taking property and lives in its path. Mary 
Leathers is with the Texas Forest Service. 

"We have wild land fires all over our state ... " :03
 
People may move to rural areas for the peace and quiet, 
but discover peace of mind doesn't always come with the 
package. In times of drought, grassy and wooded areas 
make good kindling for wildfires. Leathers says 
homeowners should take time this month to assess 
potential fire danger extending at least 30 feet around 
your home. This is called defensible space planning. 

"You need to look at vegetation that grows up to the side of 
your home. You need to look at thinning or mowing that. 
Look up and look at the trees to see if there are any limbs that 
are overhanging around our roof line or chimney." :16

If you have firewood stacked near your home, move it.

"What we need to be looking at is bringing in what we need 
and stack the rest 30 feet or more away from the house." :06

She also suggests trimming or mowing all tall grass 
around the home, as well as planting native plants and 
grasses. Not only do these species require less water, 
they are also more fire resistant than non natives.

There's additional information on this topic at the Texas 
Forest Service web site: txforestservice.tamu.edu

That's our show for today. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, 
I'm Cecilia Nasti.