Prescribed Burns Shield Borger Homes from Windy Deuce Fire, Highlighting Their Importance Despite Opposition

Prescribed burns have been effective in preventing wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Officials in a small Texas city reported that a prescribed burn previously conducted helped to stop the Windy Deuce Fire from reaching residential areas. However, some private landowners have opposed this practice of intentionally burning excess vegetation.

Fire crews in Borger, a city 50 miles northeast of Amarillo, had intentionally set fires on a seven-mile, approximately 250-foot wide strip of land on the town's edge months before destructive wildfires hit the Texas Panhandle. The prescribed burn in November cleared dense grass and brush near homes on the town's southwest side.

In February, the area treated with a prescribed burn served as a barrier when the Windy Deuce fire affected the region. Archie Stone, wildland fire coordinator for Borger, stated that the prescribed burn likely prevented the loss of homes and possibly lives.

The Windy Deuce fire burned an estimated 144,045 acres before it was contained. Nearby, the Smokehouse Creek fire burned over a million acres, becoming the largest wildfire in Texas history. It caused devastation across multiple counties and extended into Oklahoma. The fires resulted in at least two deaths, hundreds of buildings burned, and thousands of livestock killed.

Despite opposition from some private landowners, the success of prescribed burns in preventing wildfires in the Texas Panhandle highlights their importance in managing wildfire risks, particularly with increasing climate stress.

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