Planting More Hope for Texas Wildfire Victims

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Over 4 million acres burned in Texas wildfires last year, the worst in the state's history. In this photo, Texas State Troopers Aaron Lewis and Greg Sullivan open a gate to allow livestock to escape a running wildfire on April 19, 2011 in Graford, Texas.

Historic wildfires blazed through Texas last year, burning over 4 million acres and destroying nearly 3,000 homes throughout the state. Over a year later, affected areas are slowly recovering. Donations of seedlings and trees are part of the recovery effort, helping re-grow the area’s lost foliage.

Texas A&M Forest Service with Texas Garden Clubs is joining the effort to replenish the tree population west of Fort Worth. On December 15, they will be handing out a hundred trees to the affected Possum Kingdom-area community.

“We want to give some hope and help them re-green the area surrounding their homes,” Forester Courtney Blevins says in a press release.

Locals will also receive assistance in their replanting efforts. Volunteers have offered to help plant the donated trees. They will assist in planting the trees and use ample spacing to reduce the risk of spreading future wildfires.

A variety of live oak, lacey oak, and cedar elms will be donated. The foresters chose oaks and elms because they can weather the hot and dry conditions better than other species.