A veteran-led nonprofit is working wildfire mitigation at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch near Bridgeport.
WISE COUNTY, Texas — More than two dozen volunteers with the veteran-led nonprofit Team Rubicon began wildfire mitigation work Tuesday at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch, a 2,500-acre scouting camp northwest of Fort Worth, working to reduce fire risk at a heavily wooded property that serves youth programs year-round.
The operation, which runs through Sunday, May 17, involves creating primary and secondary fuel breaks — cleared corridors that slow the spread of wildfire — and improving emergency vehicle access across the property near Lake Bridgeport. All services are provided free of charge.
Camp Ranger Chad Hay requested Team Rubicon’s assistance after concluding the property could not manage the wildfire risk alone. The organization had previously conducted disaster training operations at the ranch in 2022 and 2023, according to a press release.
“There’s just no way in the world we could spend time doing what these guys are going to do for us. It’s huge because if that did happen, it would save us, and we would be able to get equipment to it,” said Ranger Chad Hay.
Volunteers — known within the organization as Greyshirts — are conducting sawyer operations and vegetative debris removal to reduce hazardous fuels and protect structures on the property. A fuel break is a cleared line or strip where trees and vegetation have been removed or thinned, slowing or redirecting the path of a wildfire.
JD Brandon, a Team Rubicon volunteer and former first responder, said the controlled environment of the mitigation project also serves as critical training for future disaster deployments.
“After a hurricane, after a tornado, trees don’t act the way you’re looking at them now. The trees are going to be on their side; they’re going to be twisted up. So when we come in here in a controlled environment, it gives us the chance to get those skillsets down with the chainsaw,” said JD Brandon, Team Rubicon Volunteer and former first responder.
Tuesday’s work focused on unloading equipment and preparing saw kits. Crews are set to begin active clearing Wednesday, continuing through the weekend.
North Texas has seen its share of wildfire pressure in recent years, with dry conditions and dense vegetation creating elevated risk across rural properties. Hay said the new fuel breaks would also create access roads for emergency vehicles should a fire ignite on or near the ranch.