Texas is experiencing “high-velocity” change through rapid population growth and development. Throughout Texas, the majority of the state’s new development is encroaching on undeveloped wildland areas. As cities, communities and suburbia expand into what was once considered rural Texas people and structures come into close contact with large amounts of vegetation. The junction in which homes and structures intersect with undeveloped wildland areas that contain flammable grass, brush and trees is known as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

The placement of people, homes and structures within the WUI renders them extremely vulnerable to wildfire. Texas is prone to wildfires due to development and population increases within the WUI, climate conditions and changes in agricultural, forest and ranch land use. Wildfire occurrence statistics in Texas show that people cause more than 95 percent of all the wildfires and more than 80 percent of all the wildfires in Texas occur within two miles of an established community.

TFS is committed to continuous wildfire mitigation and prevention programs that reduce hazardous conditions, which lower the risks from wildfires. TFS wildfire mitigation and prevention initiatives are based on integrating local involvement at the county, city, community and individual level which produces self-sustaining proactive programs that help Texans help themselves.

Departmental strategies 

• Assign a high priority to mitigation and prevention efforts throughout the year
• Base efforts on local assessment information
• Initiate prevention efforts prior to a developing fire season
• Involve cooperators in designing and delivering programs
• Strive to empower communities and property owners to mitigate hazards in Wildland Urban Interface areas
• Work with cooperators to develop and deliver wildland fuel reduction programs

Quicklinks
Fuel reduction
Law enforcement
Safety tips
Unsafe debris burning
Wildfire prevention
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)