With the western wildfires having consumed an area as large as East Texas, Wood County Fire Marshal Tully Davidson described the wildland/urban interface as the new front in combatting wildfires.

“More and more people are building their homesteads in the country, and not just in the country but literally in the woods,” Davidson explained. “They are surrounded by fuel,” he added. This phenomenon heightens the risk of wildfires as well as increasing the toll that results from them, he said.

While the topography and geography of California and the other western states are vastly different from East Texas, the events out west can be used to better prepare the county for the pasture and pine forest fires which will surely come.    

As Davidson points out, “Lightning does not discriminate.”

Lightning strike fires are not uncommon in the county. Most frequently a fire caused by lightning occurs when the lightning strike is a direct hit on a dead tree. A dead tree is like standing kindling wood, compared to a green living tree, Davidson explained. 

The most common fires in rural Wood County, however, are man-made accidental fires. Controlled burns which get out of hand and farm equipment igniting pasture land are two recurring and predictable occurrences.

Davidson offered simple measures to reduce the threat of wildfires. One is to build a buffer around a home or structure. The buffer could be green grass or dirt. The second is to either wet or disk the area surrounding a controlled burn.

“You need to scratch the surface,” he noted. 

Contemplating large wildland fires in the county requires some background into the assets and organization used to combat rural fires.

Davidson explained that 12 volunteer fire departments (VFDs) are paid by the county to protect designated areas within its boundaries.

Half of these VFDs are associated with Wood County cities: Alba, Hawkins, Mineola, Quitman, Winnsboro and Yantis. The remaining are independent 501(C)3 (non-profit) organizations: Coke-Pleasant Grove, Hainesville, Holly Lake, Land’s End, Ogburn and Perryville.

When a rural fire ignites in the county, the local VFD responds. Should the incident be beyond the scope of a single VFD’s capabilities, a call will go out to all neighboring departments.

If the situation requires additional resources, the next call is placed to the Texas A&M Forest Service, which maintains a pool of equipment such as bulldozers and plows. The nearest Forest Service office is in Gilmer. 

The final call for assistance would be made through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.  The system is managed by the Texas A&M Forest Service to leverage statewide use of emergency fire and disaster capabilities. 

The Texas Forest Service has been in existence since 1915 and is well-experienced in rural firefighting.  

To manage the firefighting efforts, the first firefighting entity on scene becomes the incident commander.  For major events, the county maintains a mobile command center, which is housed at the sheriff’s office complex in Quitman. 

Davidson estimated that the command center is exercised about six times a year, either in response to an event or for practice. 

Recent efforts to prepare for combating a major rural fire have taken the shape of an annual controlled burn at the Mill Creek Farm. Each spring, a large controlled burn of 200-300 acres is done at the 8,000-acre farm situated in the middle of Wood County.

The Mill Creek burn was most recently done in the spring. The five-day event included one day of mobilization, three days of 24/7 fire management and one day to restore gear.

Davidson spoke highly of the training value of the Mill Creek burn, “In addition to setting fire breaks and combating fire lines, we added our incident response teams to the event this year.” 

Notice of the large burn was issued to subscribers over the Rave emergency notification system.  Davidson touted the Rave alert system as an excellent way of staying alert to any possible emergency situations in Wood County, including severe weather and fire. It also is used to send boiled water notices, burn bans and other public service announcements, he added. 

As the county fire marshal Davidson offers his recommendation regarding burn bans to the county commissioners. He possesses a unique perspective on burn bans.

“I hate to regulate people,” he explained, “no one likes government to police them.” 

Therefore, he admitted that he is very conservative when he recommends a burn ban.

“Our citizens are responsible enough to recognize the conditions,” Davidson said. When he does recommend a ban, therefore, it is absolutely required and must be adhered to. 

Fire marshal is only one of four hats worn by Davidson. His other duties include service as emergency management coordinator, flood plain administrator and safety officer. There are days, he admits, when his phone rings around the clock. 

The Golden native – and Alba-Golden High School graduate – knew from his first trip to the fire station in grade school that he wanted to become a firefighter. It was his first grass fire call, as a volunteer just graduated from high school, when he thought “this is for me.” When he experienced his first house fire, he admitted that he was hooked. “We get to help people,” he summed up. 

A 23-year volunteer, Davidson possesses the triple certifications as a fire marshal, law enforcement officer and paramedic. 

His training, wide-ranging responsibilities and the nature of the work require a special kind of communication. Davidson explained that asking a neighboring department or municipality for assistance in the middle of the night is eminently easier and more effective when they know the person making the request. 

To be successful, he noted, “You have to build relationships when the sun is shining.”