Installing firebreaks is a critical step landowners can take to help slow or stop the spread of wildfires, according to Justin Mallett, consultant forester for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program.
“Firebreaks remove or restrict the fuels a wildfire needs to burn,” Mallett said. “Essentially, you are removing one side of the fire triangle. By doing so, you also make it easier for wildland firefighters to refresh and strengthen the lines to stop a fire quickly.”
For landowners who are creating firebreaks for the first time, Mallett recommends starting with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Arkansas Practice Specification. The specifications are required for landowners participating in an NRCS cost-share program, but they are also a valuable resource for others.
“Even if you’re not in the program, these specs provide sound guidance,” he said. “The Arkansas Department of Agriculture Forestry Division also installs firebreaks for a fee.”
Mallett said NRCS offers financial support for installing firebreaks through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
“These programs can offset the cost and make the practice more accessible to landowners who might not otherwise be able to invest in firebreak installation,” he said.
While firebreaks are effective, Mallett said landowners should consider potential drawbacks.
“Firebreaks can sometimes create trails that make it easier for trespassers to access your property,” he said. “There’s also the loss of timber stand area in the space where you don’t grow trees, and the potential for erosion.”
To reduce erosion, it is important to follow NRCS specifications and incorporate water bars into the firebreaks.
“Properly constructed water bars redirect water off the firebreaks and help prevent erosion,” he said. “It’s important to inspect them regularly to make sure they haven’t failed and to know when repairs are needed.”
In addition to wildfire prevention, Mallett said firebreaks can serve as multipurpose tools for landowners. Depending on their design, they can provide access roads, hunting lanes and property boundaries.
“Firebreaks are a proactive measure,” Mallett said. “They don’t just protect timber and property – they also protect lives.”
For more information about firebreak installation, contact Mallett at [email protected]. For information on the KIITF Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program, call Kandi Williams, program coordinator, at [email protected].
Pursuant to 7 CFR Section 15.3, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, 1890 Research and Extension Programs, offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
