Farm Director KC Sheperd recently had the chance to talk with State Forester Mark Goeller during Ag Day at the Capitol. Goeller talked about tips and resources to prevent fires on a person’s property or home.
Goellar said one action one can take to prevent fires on their property is to visit firewise.org to complete an assessment that will pinpoint where a fire will most impact their home or property. Goeller also suggested keeping the grass mowed and keeping leaves and pine needles raked up and away for the home.
“The cleaner the yard and the cleaner the area around the house, the more survivable the home can be during a wildfire event,” Goeller said.
Goeller said some species of plants are more fire resistant than others, so those could certainly be valuable if a fire were to occur. Goeller explained that Oklahoma has two distinct fire seasons: dormant fire season in the winter months and the growing season which is from May through the first freeze in the fall.
“What we have to watch for is the amount of rainfall we get during that time, and if we have not received rain, even though sometimes things look green, the moisture in the plants can be low enough that they will support combustion,” Goeller said.
By visiting www.forestry.ok.gov, Goeller said individuals can check out the fire situation report to gain information on when to burn, drought information, and more. While it is important to make sure conditions will be favorable on the day of the burn, Goeller emphasized keeping a watch of conditions on the days following the burn as well.
“It is very important to watch after your burn to see what the weather conditions are so everything can stay in your control,” Goeller said.
