By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News

Lake Travis Fire Rescue partnered with the Steiner Firewise Committee and the Steiner Ranch Residential Homeowners Association on December 6 to make greenbelts safer by reducing wildfire fuels.

More than a dozen Valley at Eastridge volunteers helped cut and haul brush to the chipper.

“Here in Steiner Ranch, we have a whole bunch of preserved land with a lot of vegetation on it that could be potentially dangerous in a wildfire,” said Dustin Dunn, wildfire mitigation specialist at Lake Travis Fire Rescue. “And as we’ve had wildfires here in the past, we don’t want to get caught off guard again. So we’re trying to do preventative action to help reduce the intensity of a wildfire if it were to come through this area.”

About two months ago, Debbie Tanner-Jacobs, president of SRROA, got permission formalized with the Steiner Ranch Master Association on cutting debris in the greenbelt because SRMA owns that land.

“We have secured permission for SRROA residents that back up to SRMA land/greenbelt to cut shaded fuel breaks,” Tanner-Jacobs shared. “(Now) SRROA homeowners can cut up to 20 to 30 feet behind their homes even though it is land owned by the SRMA as long as it wasn’t part of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve.”

Dan Reeder, Firewise leader, said this is a good time of year to do these cleanups because  temperatures are cooler and also to avoid potential oak wilt.

“In the event that we do have to trim some hardwood oak trees, (this time of year) we’re minimizing the risk of oak wilt,” he said.

“Shout out to Debbie Tanner-Jacobs for helping make this happen,” Reeder added. “She’s been a big part of supporting this initiative and actually allowing the homeowners to cut into the green belt with training that’s authorized by the HOA and Firewise Committee. Many neighborhoods don’t have that level of authority, and Debbie’s made it happen.”