13 - RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2017 LAMAR COUNTY MITIGATION PLAN

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Lamar County Multi - Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan HAZARD PROFILE: SECTION EIGHT - WILDFIRE 1. Description Chapter Three The normal Texas Climate is characterized by periods of above and below normal rainfall. The periods of plentiful rains allows for increased vegetation growth. While the periods of below normal rains allow this vegetation to dry and provide ample fuel for wildfires. This was the situation leading up to the record wildfire events felt by Texas in 2005 -2006 and 2010 -2011. Before the drought ended, in April 2006, eleven lives had been claimed and over 400 homes destroyed. During the 2010 -2011 event 3.9 million acres burned and 2,862 homes were destroyed, and claimed the lives of at least two firefighters. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire spreading through vegetative fuels, exposing and possibly consuming structures. They often begin unnoticed and spread Wildfire - A wildfire is any quickly and are usually signaled by dense smoke that uncontrolled, non - structure fire fills the air for miles around. Wildfires pose a great that occurs in the wilderness, wild threat to life and property, particularly as they move land, or brush. - from forest or rangeland into Wildland Urban Interface www.wikipedia.org or Intermix areas. The Interface and Intermix are the areas where human development meets or intermingles with undeveloped wildland or vegetation. More and more residents want their home in a woodland setting, not realizing that they are putting themselves under a real threat of wildfire. Wildfires can be classified as one of three key types: Surface Fires - Surface fires are the most common they move slowly along the forest floor. Ground Fires - Ground fires are usually caused by lightning strikes and they burn on or below the ground. Crown Fires - Crown fires spread quickly from tree top to tree by wind. 2. Location Wild fires can occur throughout Texas and Lamar County due to the combination of dry burnable ground cover, lightning storms, and human causes. There is a higher risk of fatalities in the Interface or Intermix areas. Areas such as Paris are not as threatened as are areas located in other parts of the county. Communities such as Powderly, Novice, and Chicota, are at greatest risk due to the vegetation content, population location, and the fact the communities do not have a full time fire department to mitigate and protect these and other areas around the clock. 118