September 13, 2023 

Kendall County completes Community Wildfire Protection Plan to address community wildfire risk

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Kendall County has adopted a plan to reduce risks and enhance community safety in advance of a wildfire.

A Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a proven strategy for reducing the risk of wildfire to communities. The Kendall County plan establishes long-term goals, objectives and mitigation measures by identifying risk reduction priorities and proposing strategies that will protect communities from wildland fire.

The plan is the 25th countywide Community Wildfire Protection Plan to be completed in Texas and was developed in collaboration with county and city officials, local fire departments and representatives from Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“This has been a tremendous amount of work for many different people,” said Christie Wiley, Community Wildfire Protection Plan Project Manager for Kendall County. “It is exciting to see the document become a final roadmap for the county and city to use over the next 10 years to reduce the risk of wildfire to county residents and visitors and to increase safety for first responders and communities of this county.”

Kendall County, located northwest of San Antonio in the Texas Hill Country, has been greatly impacted by wildfire and drought in recent years. The area is subject to highly active fuel-driven fires during the summer months.

Over the past five years, the county has experienced 56 wildfires that have burned more than 600 acres. Twenty-eight of those wildfires occurred during the 2022 wildfire season, including the 76-acre Voss Fire that ignited on Feb. 15. The fire threatened 20 homes, a local middle school and multiple nearby businesses before local and state fire personnel stopped forward progression. Ultimately, there were no lost or damaged structures.

“Completing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a great proactive first step toward creating a more wildfire-resilient Kendall County,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “This type of collaborative plan brings community stakeholders together to implement actions that reduce risk and protect residents from the impacts of wildfire.”

The process to complete the county plan was started in 2020 and finalized on Aug. 24, 2023, when it was approved by the Kendall County Commissioners Court, county fire chiefs and Texas A&M Forest Service.

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Texas A&M Forest Service Contacts:

Alex Bregenzer, CWPP Program Coordinate, 512-354-5790, alex.bregenzer@tfs.tamu.edu