Camp Bowie, a Texas Army National Guard Training Center, is planning to conduct a prescribed burn in coordination with the Texas Forest Service this month, weather permitting. This prescribed burn will be in conjunction with Texas Forest Service School this Sunday, February 20th and if weather conditions are favorable, February 21st-25th according to Camp Bowie officials. Military mission readiness and natural resources stewardship require wildland fire management programs that protect life and property, facilitate training, and enhance ecosystem health. Prescribed fires are an integral part of those programs.
Prescribed burning is the controlled application of fire following a burn plan. Why is fire considered good at one time and bad at another? The answer can be found in almost all facets of nature. Most people will agree that rain and sun are good. However, too much rain or sun can be ruinous. The same formula applies to fire. The appropriate amount of fire applied at just the right time and in just the right amount is as necessary to the forest and the animals that live there, as rain and sun. A well planned prescribed fire can reduce the threat of wildfire and can benefit Texas landscapes. A burn plan specifies environmental conditions, identifies precautionary measures, and confines the fire to a predetermined area while accomplishing the land management objectives. By conducting prescribed fires under appropriate conditions, Camp Bowie is showing its commitment to being a good land steward.The Texas Army National Guard is working together with the Texas Forest Service to accomplish the task of wildfire risk reduction for the community. For more information regarding the prescribed fire program at Camp Bowie, contact the Wildfire Management Coordinator at 512-782-6037 and for information about Camp Bowie contact Major Jamey L. Creek at jamey.creek@us.army.mil.
