Fire officials help residents reduce risk of wildfires

BOLIVAR, Tenn. — A national fire safety program called Firewise aims to create solutions for preventing wildfires.

Bolivar is the first city in the state to be designated a Firewise community. The program helps homeowners combat the risk of a wildfire.

“We go in to try and reduce the fuel for the resident to keep in case they have a forest fire,” Bolivar Fire Chief Lynn Price said. “That way we can at least keep the fire from flowing faster, from coming to that residence.”

The Bolivar Fire Department along with the Forestry Department placed orange ribbons on trees they felt are a threat to a resident’s property.

“We cut out brushes and move leaves and blow leaves back away from people’s property,” Price said.

Chief Price said thinning the trees helps reduce fuel from spreading quickly to a home when a fire is ignited. So far, the city has six Firewise communities.

“This one right here just happened to have more trees than any other neighborhood we have,” Chief Price said. “So that’s what we decided. We want to come in and do something for this neighborhood and try to help them reduce having fires.”

Some residents said they’re grateful for a program like this.

“The fact that they cut down some of those trees that could catch on fire and blew the leaves away from our house, I think everyone should take advantage,” resident Bailee Hutchinson said.

Chief Price said residents can stop by the fire department to learn about trees and plants that may be hazardous to your home. On June 15 and 16, fire officials say they will go door to door into the Firewise areas to give out information about the program and to answer any questions residents may have.