Are You Firewise?
View of the Community Center during the Tejano Canyon Fire, June 2011; photo by Jeff Smith.
DMR IS A MAJOR FIRE THREAT
According to the Texas Forestry Service, the fire departments in Alpine, Fort Davis and Marfa consider the Davis Mountains Resort the biggest fire hazard in our tri-county area. Ironically that info was disclosed by a TFS rep during a DMPOA Board meeting on April 9, 2011…the very day the “Rock House” fire storm blazed through Fort Davis.
At the end of that near month-long fire, more than 314,000 acres were burned, 50 homes and structures were destroyed, and DMR was in “wind shift” danger. DMR consists of less than 9,000 acres. At the incredible speed in which the “Rock House” fire storm moved from Marfa to Fort Davis, such a fire could have completely wiped out DMR in hours.
A BURN BAN IS A BURN BAN!
A Burn Ban means absolutely no open fires of any kind. It also means no welding or any other outdoor work or activity which can cause even the slightest spark. Our tri-town counties remain under countywide Burn Bans and law enforcement takes the matter very seriously. No matter how small a fire you start, you are endangering lives and, you can be fined and thrown in jail.
THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL
All of us must regularly continue to improve the fire safety of our individually owned properties. Only one neglected tract can jeopardize the safety of neighbors and put all of DMR in serious danger. DMR is an official "Firewise Community", so absolutely all your documented hours and related costs can be deemed National Forestry Service Firewise credits (please see "DMPOA IS FIREWISE" at the bottom of this page). If you can’t manage to do the necessary brush clearing and mitigation work yourself, then PLEASE hire a crew:
1. REMOVE DEAD WOOD & TRIM TREES (haul to the brush pile near the Community Center); 2. WEED-EAT & MOW (cut grass at least 30ft around structures); 3. SAFELY STORE FLAMMABLES (visibly mark those designated structures). YOUR EMERGENCY INFO IS NEEDED The DMPOA Evacuation Comittee continues to work with our VFD updating and revising DMR's Emergency Evacuation Plan. This ongoing and highly detailed plan must include your current emergency information. 1. POST YOUR 911 ADDRESS (post in reflective lettering at your entrance drive for emergency personnel); 2. KEEP YOUR INFO UPDATED (if any of your emergency info changes, contact Committee Chair, Marti Brockman-Fellers at 432-426-2181 or kathleen0326@yahoo.com). EVACUATION MAY BE NECESSARY Everyone also knows that Tomahawk Trail is the only route into and out of DMR. If an evacuation is ordered and exiting DMR is a danger, take your emergency bags and crated pets, and go immediately to the DMPOA Community Center, the DMR Baptist Church, or the DMR Community Church for instruction (all of these areas are intended to save lives; they are not meant to be "storage areas" for additional vehicles or unnecessary personal items). And please, when you evacuate your home, try to remember to post a simple note for emergency personnel that you've evacuated. RELY ON YOURSELF Everyone knows a first aid kit is a necessity, but when you’re in DMR, or any remote area, you should also have a battery operated radio and analog phone in the event of power failure (power was lost for days during the Rock House fire). And, be prepared by learning the Ready-Set-Go basics today, just go to: http://wildlandfirersg.org/ (you can even learn what to do if you are trapped by a fire). Lastly, please don’t wait for an evacuation order. If you feel unsafe, simply leave. Weather Wunderground: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=79734 Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USTX0470 Fire Maps & Updates INCIWEB: http://www.inciweb.org/state/45/ NFS Fire Map: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/ Wunderground Fire Map: http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/fire NOAA: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/hms.html News KRTS 93.5 FM, Marfa (stream online): http://www.marfapublicradio.org/ KVLF 1240 AM/KALP 92.7 FM, Alpine (stream online): http://www.bigbendradio.com/ Marfa Sentinel (site updated regularly during emergencies): http://bigbendnow.com/ Alpine Avalance: http://www.alpineavalanche.com/ DMPOA IS FIREWISE In July, 2011, the DMPOA Board officially made DMR a Firewise Community, recognized by the National Forestry Service. The DMPOA Firewise Committee consists of Chair Phyllis Arp, Jan Barr, Marie LeJuene, Bob Newman and Jeff Smith. The Committee will focus on the fire safety of DMR's common property, as well as encourage all property owners to be Firewise. In an effort to increase our Firewise recognition status, and potential future assistance, we are asking all property owners to take the time to submit their fire safety efforts. You can print, complete and submit the following Reporting Form. Or you can simply email your pertinent information to dmrfirewise@yahoo.com. If you have any questions or need any further information, feel free to contact a Firewise Committee members: Jan Barr at 432-426-2104, or Bob Newman at 432-426-3223. After opening and reviewing the PDF file below, click the "BACK" button to return to this page (be patient, the PDF file may take a few seconds to download).
|
DMR reporting form.pdf Size : 346.176 Kb Type : pdf |
