COPPERAS COVE, Texas — Crews with The Texas A&M Forst Service are hard at work tackling a fuel reduction project in Copperas Cove.
”What that is, is reducing the understory canopy a little bit and we’re taking out some invasive species,” said Kiley Moran, Public Information Officer with Texas A&M Forest Service.
"What that’s going to do is help reduce the fire risk to this neighborhood.”
They’re starting at South Park, clearing out all the underbrush beneath these trees, and they will stop at HWY 190, but the big trees will stay.
This is partly due to lessons learned from massive fires in the area over the past several years.
”That is what I believe prompted the city of Copperas Cove to ask us,” said Moran.
Martin Orozzo and his family have lived across the street from South Park since 2017 and is happy to see the Forest Service taking action.
”I feel good. I mean, I think that it’s a good thing,” said Orozzo.
He feels that steps like these will help keep his family safe.
”Absolutely yes and not just my family, the entire city, the entire neighborhood here,” said Orozzo.
“They’re building houses over on that side and that protects them too.”
While the Forest Service works to cut down the fuel for fires, here are steps you can take at home to stop the spread of wildfires and the Forest Service says now is the time to do it.
”Get out in your yard, clean your gutters, clean around your home, trim your hedges back, clean up leaf litter,” said Moran.
“Anything like that can help your home survive a wildfire.”
