Across Texas, wildfire seasons are growing longer and less predictable, and for landowners, that means planning ahead is no longer optional. The U.S. Forest Service’s Fireshed Registry offers a powerful new way to do just that.
Developed by the Rocky Mountain Research Station, the Fireshed Registry maps where wildfires are most likely to start and how they could spread toward communities. Rather than focusing only on ignition points, it helps identify exposure zones, areas that could transmit fire to homes, barns, or critical infrastructure. By visualizing these patterns, landowners and agencies can target fuel treatments, prescribed burns, and readiness plans where they’ll make the biggest difference.
In practical terms, a “fireshed” is a large landscape unit, often hundreds of thousands of acres, that shows how fire could move across terrain and ownership boundaries. Within those, smaller project and treatment areas allow for focused management. For ranchers and rural homeowners, this means you can pinpoint which direction fire might come from and which parts of your land are most vulnerable.
With the Fireshed Registry’s online mapping tools, you can overlay your property boundaries, identify high-transmission corridors, and plan treatments accordingly, from thinning brush to expanding defensible space around homes and barns.
Just as importantly, the Fireshed framework encourages collaboration across fencelines. Fire doesn’t stop at a property boundary, and neither should prevention. By coordinating with neighbors, local fire districts, and extension agents, landowners can align treatments across shared exposure zones and create broader resilience for the whole community.
The takeaway is simple: when you understand where wildfire exposure originates, you can better decide how to protect what matters most. The Fireshed Registry combines national-scale science with local action, helping Texans stay ready long before the smoke is on the horizon.