More area homeowners protecting against wildfires - KOTA Territory News

More area homeowners protecting against wildfires

With fire dangers still high, taking action now can save lives and property in the event of a wildfire.

And there are measures you can take to ensure the worst case scenario doesn't happen to you.

The Survivable Space Initiative aims to make neighborhoods more likely to survive a fire without requiring protection from fire fighters.
 
Fire officials say many homeowners are aware of the danger but need guidance and financial assistance.

The Rapid City Fire Department works with other local agencies to make grant money available to homeowners to help remove fuels in overgrown areas.

Senator John Thune stopped by the Carriage Hills neighborhood today to see these federal tax dollars at work.

Thune and Andrew Tate with the Wildland Fire Division hope more homeowners in the area get onboard.

"You want to have people in our communities, particularly in the Black Hills where the fire risk is the greatest, taking every possible measure they can to prevent a fire outbreak," says Thune.
 
"It only takes one person to believe in the program, to have the confidence to do it that one time and then it spreads from there," says Tate.
 
Weaver says not only does clearing fuels protect homeowners and their properties, but firefighters who have to battle the blazes as well.