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Fire chief warns of elevated wildfire risk and proposes 'Fire Ready' campaign
Summary
Fire Chief John Coffey told the council Black Mountain sits in a wildland‑urban interface with elevated fuel loads after recent storms, urged stronger enforcement of defensible‑space rules, and proposed a locally led "Black Mountain fire ready" campaign that combines enforcement, education and tactical preparedness.
Fire Chief John Coffey opened his briefing by saying he did not "want to raise the alarm, but to clearly communicate a reality we must face together," and described the approaching wildfire season as "a serious and escalating threat to the town of Black Mountain." He told the council that recent hurricane damage left large amounts of downed timber and vegetative debris that now serve as an unnaturally heavy fuel bed.
Chief Coffey said the town’s topology…
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