Firewise volunteers brief council; council directs staff to explore prescribed burns and owner outreach

A volunteer Firewise leader told the Lago Vista City Council on Feb. 6 that the local Firewise USA site is being reactivated and that volunteers plan education, home evaluations and a volunteer program over 2025. Councilmembers discussed options to reduce fuels on city and private land, including targeted prescribed burns on large parcels and renewed code‑compliance outreach to owners of undeveloped lots.

Jeff Huegeli, who identified himself as lead for Firewise in Lago Vista, outlined the program’s emphasis: “neighbors helping neighbors,” voluntary home‑hardening and defensible‑space measures, and an annual recertification process that tracks volunteer hours and local investments. He said Firewise is not a code‑enforcement program, does not perform emergency response, and does not itself perform community evacuation planning; rather, it educates homeowners about defensible space and helps convene resources.

Councilmember Roberts, who brought the item forward, described conversations with ESD 1 and said that prescribed burns on suitable parcels could be a training opportunity for firefighters and a fuel‑reduction tool. Council directed staff to coordinate with ESD 1 and to begin targeted outreach to large‑parcel owners to ask whether they would consider participating in a prescribed burn program. Staff was asked to report back to council within roughly 4–6 weeks with a list of candidate parcels and property‑owner responses. Council members also requested that the Firewise presentation and homeowner materials be posted to the city website.

Council members emphasized caution about oak wilt season and asked staff to consult an arborist and fire‑service experts about burn timing and oak protection. Several councilmembers and staff said they prefer voluntary engagement and education over mandatory enforcement for private properties.