Firewise Updates and Information

Firewise USA is an initiative begun by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2002 to help communities like ours reduce the risk of destruction from wildfires and recognize their efforts. Los  Reyes Canyons was the first community in Helotes to be officially recognized, in October 2015. 

Your home is likely one of the biggest financial investments each of us has made in our lifetimes,  and our families, and even our pets, are our biggest emotional  investments.  It only makes sense that we would want to protect that investment, and the priceless loved ones inside our homes.  One of the  biggest risks we face to our homes is the very real danger of wildfires.  

Los Reyes Canyons presents an ideal scenario for wildfires with abundant vegetation, extensive periods of drought, and steep slopes.  All it would take is a windy day and one ignition point to start a devastating fire. Tiny embers can sail more than a mile on a windy day and land on and around your home.  There are many steps you can take to reduce the risk that those embers will end up igniting your home.  Some are obvious, like creating a fire break incorporating your  driveway, walkways and perhaps some rock close to the foundation. Others are more subtle, like considering the flammability of the plants you choose allow close to your home.  Some things, like your home construction materials, are tough to change now, but if you have to have your roof replaced or make an addition to your property, opt for something fireproof.  Some things we can all do, like removing brush and dead wood from our lots, trimming low hanging branches, and reducing flammable material close to the home.  For access to some very useful educational material, visit: https://www.firewise.org and especially this informative lesson:  https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfire  

We need your help to maintain our status as a NFPA recognized community going forward. Each year our Firewise representative reports our efforts in terms of hours of effort and dollars spent to NFPA.  A big part of that is the time we spend cutting and hauling brush and trees for six collections a year, but anything that reduces your fire risk is reportable.  To do that, please report  your efforts using the simple Resident Firewise Report linked on this  webpage. All you need to report is the date of the work, how many hours and/or dollars you spent on the effort, a short description, and how far you were from your house (Zones 1-3) as listed on the form.  Then email  a picture/scan of the form to LRC-Firewise@satx.rr.com.  We will collect that information, along with what we know about the money we spend on brush pickup and landscape maintenance as a community, and submit it to NFPA at the end of the year.