Wildfire season in Texas doesn’t wait for summer. Across much of North and Central Texas, major grassfires have started as early as January — fueled by dormant grasses, low humidity, and years of woody growth spreading across rangeland. Cedar, mesquite, and yaupon thickets provide the perfect ladder fuels to carry fire from the ground into tree canopies and pastures, making winter cleanup not just maintenance, but prevention.

With the holidays behind and fields often resting, this is one of the best times of year to get ahead of that fuel load. Whether you manage a small acreage or a large ranch, removing brush and dead timber now pays off later in safety, forage, and water availability.

Cedar, particularly Ashe juniper, is one of the most invasive and flammable trees in the region. Its resinous foliage burns hot and fast, and when the trees grow thick together, they shade out grasses and native plants that help hold soil and retain water. Over time, cedars not only create a fire hazard but also consume significant amounts of groundwater, sometimes as much as 30 gallons per day per mature tree.

Mesquite and yaupon, while native, can also overtake pastures if left unmanaged. They spread quickly and create dense stands that trap cattle, limit forage growth, and complicate access. The key is timing — and winter offers the best conditions for many control methods.

Mechanical clearing, prescribed fire, and stump treatment can all be used effectively this time of year. With grasses dormant and less leaf moisture in woody plants, fire behavior is more predictable and mechanical work is easier on equipment and soil.

Before beginning, assess your property. Identify fuel-heavy areas, cedar thickets, and slopes where brush has crowded out grass. If you plan to burn, contact your local volunteer fire department or county extension office, and file a burn plan with the Texas A&M Forest Service. Many counties require burn permits or have burn bans depending on drought status, so always check before lighting up.

Controlled burns are one of the most cost-effective tools for smaller cedars (under six feet) or scattered regrowth after mechanical removal. For larger trees, cutting or shredding is usually necessary first. The cut-and-stuff technique — felling smaller trees and placing them beneath standing ones before burning — helps increase heat and flame height for better kill rates.

If burning isn’t possible, mechanical clearing still helps. Using a chainsaw, hydraulic shear, or skid steer attachment, cut trees low to the ground and remove piles away from fences or structures. Large piles can be left to dry for several months before burning when conditions are safe.

Clearing brush doesn’t end when the trees hit the ground. Stumps, roots, and regrowth will reclaim cleared ground if left untreated. In Texas, where cedar and mesquite are both persistent, managing the stumps is as important as the first cut.

Cedar (Ashe juniper): Unlike mesquite, cedar typically does not sprout from the stump, so a low, clean cut is sufficient. However, leaving any green material or side branches above ground can allow regrowth. Cut flush with the soil to prevent this.

Mesquite: This species resprouts aggressively. Chemical stump treatments are often necessary to prevent regrowth. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends applying a herbicide mixture of diesel and herbicide (such as triclopyr or clopyralid, depending on product labeling) immediately after cutting while the wood is fresh. Apply to the outer edge of the stump, where the living tissue lies just under the bark.

Yaupon and other brush: Shrubby invaders such as yaupon, greenbriar, and wild plum respond best to mechanical clearing followed by prescribed burning or foliar herbicide in spring when plants are actively growing.

Once the initial clearing is complete, keep up with maintenance burns or mowing every three to five years. Many landowners combine these efforts with rotational grazing to promote strong grass recovery. Allowing grasses to rebound is essential, as they become the fine fuel necessary for future prescribed burns. Without them, woody plants will reestablish quickly.

Winter Advantages

Working in winter offers several benefits beyond fire prevention. Cooler temperatures reduce operator fatigue, snakes and insects are dormant, and bare trees improve visibility and access for equipment. Soil is also firmer in dry spells, which reduces rutting and erosion.

With burn bans often lifted after fall rains, January through March is prime time to coordinate with neighbors or local prescribed burn associations. The Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department both offer guidance and sometimes cost-share programs for brush management.

If you’re not equipped for large-scale burning, even small-scale clearing along fencelines, around barns, and near roads helps create defensible space — a key buffer that can slow or stop a wildfire.

Winter also provides a chance to take care of stumps while they’re easier to access. Treating or grinding them now prevents regrowth before spring rains arrive.

When planning your next burn or brush project, remember that every tree removed is less fuel on the ground and more water in the soil. A clean pasture with a healthy stand of native grass not only supports livestock better but helps safeguard homes and property from the growing risk of wildfire in Texas rangelands.

References

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Brush Busters: How to Manage Mesquite, Yaupon, and Juniper.
• Texas A&M Forest Service – Prescribed Fire in Texas: Guidelines and Safety.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – Rangeland Habitat and Brush Management for Wildlife.
• Oklahoma State University Extension – Eastern Redcedar Control and Management.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service – Fuel Load Reduction and Range Restoration in Central Plains Ecosystems.

By Martha Crump

The Summer of 2025 has been an interesting combination of rain and moderate temperatures, at least in our North Texas region. Other parts of Texas did experience their share of consecutive hot temps, and a little less rain. Then of course we all know how devastating the “Weather Whiplash” event was for the Texas Hill Country region. And yes, that is an actual meteorological term describing an extreme weather pattern shift such as the one responsible for the deluge of rain dropped in such a small amount of time. As we headed out on the family vacation this late summer, we advised the grandkids to take note of the flora in the Texas Panhandle, as it was August and green as far as you could see. We returned to pastures that were still green and lush with grass, again with us telling the “grands” that this was indeed a special sight to witness. With September passing and the move into October fully in swing, we began the pattern of scattered showers popping up, but easing into dryer conditions. And the volunteer fire department calls begin to change in pattern as well. We moved from many “controlled burns” to “grassfire” callouts. Now I do not want to sound like a glass half full sort of person, but anyone with practical sense knows there is a downside to most everything. In the world of agriculture, having an abundance of pasture vegetation going into Fall brings the downside of a heavy fuel load as it dies back, dries out, and/or becomes dormant.  Dry conditions, dense vegetation and high winds are all factors in wildfire ignition and spread. The dangers of wildfire include hot gases, smoke and flames. As a wildfire grows in intensity and size, so do each of these. Wind speed, temperature and relative humidity must also be factored into the rate of spread.  Facing an imminent wildfire danger is not the time to consider what steps should be taken. Preparations and a plan of action can determine how timely and how well you and your property fare.

Local volunteer fire departments/first responders go above and beyond in the face of these unexpected and deadly threats. As landowners, there is quite a lot that we can do to facilitate their success in managing a wildfire. Taking a few moments to develop a checklist is a good starting point for the landowner and can be extremely helpful for the first responders specific to your property.  Most established ranchers have a good working relationship with the local volunteer fire departments (VFD) around their area, and along the same vein, local VFD’s are accustomed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with their neighboring counterparts and definitely know who has what resources available. These men and women train on their own time, are certified, and on standby 24/7 to be there when they are needed. They do as much as they can, for as long as they can, to protect our interests, be that our land, our homes, our livestock or anything else to do with our livelihoods! The landscape of country living is changing dramatically. More people are wanting to escape city living, if not to fully relocate, at least to own property that allows them a getaway from being in town. The absentee landowners aren’t always easily accessible during emergencies. So whether you’ve lived on your place for 4 or 5 generations, or have recently bought your weekend getaway, it might behoove us all to recap some tips to help ourselves, and most importantly, the VFD’s that come to our rescue.

M. L. Russell, Assistant Professor and Extension Range Specialist-Ecosystem Science and Management developed a checklist with good points for all landowners to consider. According to Mr. Russell, “The answers to the questions below will be instrumental in building operations, tactics, and general firefighting techniques. A carefully thought out wildfire ready checklist is an excellent foundation for improved communication and relationship building during wildfires.” Not all of the suggested points in every category will be a consideration for every landowner, but most will find many that are relevant to both small and large holdings alike.

Also landowners should ALWAYS be aware of their county burn bans. Compliance with active burn ban law does help to reduce unsafe debris burning, but everyone should remember that a burn ban does NOT have to be in effect for outdoor burning to be illegal. If you negligently allow your fire to escape onto someone else’s property, it is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

The State of Texas uses a tiered approach to wildfire response. That starts with local fire departments and counties as the first responders, and is followed by state response as wildfires or conditions exceed the local ability to control. The Texas A&M Forest Service was implemented in 1915 with the main goal of suppression & extinguishing of forest fires (wildfires). In 1993 that mission was expanded to include the coordination of response to any large, or potentially major wildland fire within the state. There is a tremendous amount of coordination that is required beginning with the local first responder level, and growing in magnitude as other agencies are called into action. The Incident Command System at each of these levels ensure a more coordinated and rapid response, and an appropriate use of resources. As landowners/managers, this is where our role becomes critical, especially to our first responders. It is of utmost importance to be able to contact individuals as firefighters need, or as they are attempting to access property to manage wildfires. The inability to do so is very handicapping. I would encourage all individuals that are living remote from your property to at least make sure that neighboring property owners have a means of contact for you. My experience with folks that are new to either owning a country recreational property, or to being new country living residents, is that there is a certain level of “distrust” that many experience regarding sharing of information about their properties. I realize that giving gate codes to neighbors might seem counterintuitive, however it might mean the difference between suppressing a fire quickly versus having it grow and spread. If you aren’t comfortable sharing that information with a neighbor, then please share with the local law enforcement office in your area so that someone can contact you. And as a matter of note, country living, or land ownership means getting to know your neighbors so that we can all work together to protect everyone’s’ interests. We cannot help you in your absence if we don’t know you or cannot contact you!

Texas A&M Forest Service provides the following sources of information available to homeowners, community members, and landowners alike to facilitate condensing of information into a helpful format for first responders. I strongly encourage everyone to visit this website and follow the links to assist you in preparing for fire should it happen in your area. The web address is:  https://tfsweb.tamu.edu   Once you have accessed the webpage, then look for the heading Preparing For Wildfires. Upon selecting that, you will find subcategories called Protect Your Community, Protect Your Home, Protect Your Ranch, & Protect Your Wildlands. Two forms of interest found under the link Protect Your Ranch, are the Landowner Priorities Form complete with an example of what is listed where, and also a form called Map My Property that actually enables landowners to not only map their properties, but to also denote features of interest/importance on said property. Our local VFD’s are effective at what they do in the face of overwhelming conditions! Imagine how much we could help their volunteer efforts by taking the time to do just a little bit of computer work and by compiling just a little bit of information like this for them. I would respectfully add that any time your local VFD/First Responders are having a fundraiser, please help to support them. We cannot double their wages as they work for free, but we can contribute to coffers that have to be maintained for equipment purchase and repair, fuel, protective equipment for volunteers, and many, many other costs that most would never think of in regard to keeping these men and women safe and ready to respond. And to that end, may I say God Bless and keep safe all of our VFD members/First Responders as they volunteer their time to protect the rest of us.

By Tony Dean

While we’ve been paying attention to the more well-known and higher-producing range grasses, one of the little cousins in the grass family, Slim Tridens, decided to put down roots in North Texas. It is now well-adapted and established in northern Mexico, throughout much of the central US, and all the way to the West Coast.  It does not have much presence in deep East Texas.

With such a widespread adaptation area, it is no wonder that descriptions of Slim Tridens vary widely. The California Plant Society Nursery assigns an average height of two to three feet. Ricky Linex, in his excellent book about range plants in Northeast Texas, gave Tridens a height of eight to 12 inches in our environment.

Slim Tridens is a warm-season perennial species. Most references attribute a feed value of “fair” to Slim Tridens for livestock forage and wildlife use.   Although it often comprises up to 15 percent of our pasture forage, many of us don’t know what it looks like. Pastures that are often overgrazed will increase in Slim Tridens because of heavier grazing on other plants.