Oklahoma Forestry Services will soon begin work to remove hazardous wildland fuels by utilizing a Wildfire Mitigation Module near the Circle Mountain subdivision in Bartlesville, Fire Chief David Topping said recently.
“OFS has been working in the area of Washington Park Mall and has done a phenomenal job of mitigating potential hazards due to vegetation overgrowth in that area,” Topping said. “Essentially, they’ll be doing a similar thing on Circle Mountain. The goal is to lower the threat of a catastrophic wildfire by thinning hardwood, removing so-called ‘ladder fuels’ and Eastern redcedar trees, as well as creating fuel breaks.”
Topping said that before work begins, OFS will work to identify ecological concerns within the project area and communicate any issues to property owners and Washington County officials.
“There will be special attention focused on removal of all Eastern redcedar along Westcliff Drive and Mountain Road,” he said. “This area is of concern because of its proximity to the Circle Mountain subdivision, where topography and prevailing winds could align, creating conditions conducive to extreme fire behavior.”
“When we manage our forests, we leave the healthy hardwood trees,” said OFS Hazard Mitigation Coordinator Aaron Williams. “That’s important to us. We get rid of the vegetation that only works to raise the risk of wildfire. What we leave is a stand of healthy trees with branches high enough off the ground to prevent any wildfire from climbing.”
Williams said these exercises are “always approached by OFS with detailed planning and only as a preventative measure.”
“It is contrary to the mission of OFS to simply remove trees,” he said. “OFS will always strive to protect, manage, and maintain healthy forestland on public and private lands around the state.”