N RANCHING
atural Resources
Preparing for Disaster By Nicole Erceg
W
HEN THE UNIMAGINABLE STRIKES, IT’S BEST TO BE prepared. The citizens of Bastrop County had no way of knowing that wildfi re would
threaten their community on 3 occasions in the past 6 years. That didn’t stop their leaders from putting together a plan, just in case. In 2008, before wildfi res became a regular threat
to the city of Bastrop, the Bastrop County Offi ce of Emergency Management, along with other city lead- ership, created a Community Wildfi re Protection Plan (CWPP). This document identifi ed the potential threat of wildfi re, along with how the community might re- act to the threat. In 2011, threat became a reality when Bastrop County
played host to an unwelcome guest. The Bastrop Fire Complex destroyed more than 1,600 homes and killed 2 people, making it one of the most devastating wild- fi res in Texas history. However, the situation could have been worse if
community leadership had not been prepared. The CWPP helped arm emergency response personnel with valuable information like evacuation routes and critical water sources. The plan even included a struc- ture inventory and an evaluation of the emergency
58 The Cattleman November 2016
response capabilities. With a plan already in place, key stakeholders were prepared to collaborate to save lives, homes and begin the process of recovery after the threat subsided. The Bastrop CWPP looks a bit different than it did
when they began the planning stages in 2003, but the plan and the relationships it has built have continued to save structures, land and lives. The plan is now more detailed and the leadership more experienced. Mitigation and recovery strategies continue and edu- cation and outreach are prioritized. For the commu- nity of Bastrop, the CWPP has continued to serve its purpose and evolve as it continues to change and face new types of wildfi re threat.
A growing threat In Texas, the threat of wildfi re is frequently be-
coming more of a “when” than an “if” probability. The state population continues to soar and what were once small communities are now expanding into traditionally rural areas. Combined with a lack of rain and dry summer heat, the rural landscape becomes a tinderbox, with a house serving as a mass of kindling on its borders. The threat has never been
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