FireCAP | Wildfire Safety

Our Mission

Through education, preparation, advocacy, and networking with citizen groups and emergency services organizations, FireCAP, Inc. seeks to reduce wildfire risks in the Urban/Wildland interface of Texas.

Our Vision

FireCAP, Inc. is a citizens' organization with statewide impact on reducing wildfire hazards in the Urban/Wildland interface.

More information:Bastrop Wildfire Preparedness

Your Home Ignition Zone

Reducing flammable hazards around your home can increase the chances it will survive a wildfire. The "home ignition zone" is considered to be the 30 to 100 foot area around your home.

Creating and maintaining a "firewise" home ignition zone reduces or eliminates those hazards which would catch on fire, such as dense vegetation, flammable items, or combustible structures attached to or adjacent to your home.

This "defensible space" gives firefighters a chance to control the wildfire before it can damage your house by slowing the fire and reducing its fuel.

Landscaping tasks to help create a defensible space in your home ignition zone:

Thin and space vegetation
Remove dead materials
Remove tree limbs up to 10 feet above the ground
Remove flammable plants (generally evergreens whose resin content makes them highly combustible)
Create a non-flammable walkway or landscape feature around the base of your home
Keep your grass well-irrigated and mowed

Flame-resistant construction materials will also increase your home's chances of surviving a wildfire. Consider replacing or modifying wooden fences, decks, footings, and roofing with less combustible materials:

Recommended roofing materials include Class A asphalt shingles, metal, slate or clay tile and concrete products
Fine mesh hardware wire behind all vents and openings in soffits, eaves, foundations and decks will help prevent blown sparks and embers from entering spaces in the house
Tempered and double-paned glass windows reduce interior heat exposure

Simple things to do maintain a safer home ignition zone

Keep garden hoses attached to outside faucets
Clean gutters and roofs to reduce fire brand risk
Install a spark arrestor if you have a chimney
Store firewood piles and flammable liquids at least 30 feet away from the house

Haybales stacked by a home are fuel for fire. This and similar items are highly flammable and should be kept at least 30 feet away.

For more information about firewise landscaping, visit our page on landscaping or visit Firewise Communities or contact your local County Extension Agency.