HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas — After a wildfire at Dana Peak Park crept dangerously close to homes in Harker Heights, local, state and federal agencies partnered to build a large-scale firebreak aimed at protecting neighborhoods bordering Stillhouse Hollow Lake. The effort — years in the making — brought together the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the city of Harker Heights, the Texas A&M Forest Service and volunteer responders from Team Rubicon. What began as a plan to clear a few hundred feet of vegetation ultimately resulted in more than one mile of firebreak completed this year. USACE Park Ranger Alex Klepac, who works at the lake, said the project grew out of concerns following fires in 2018 and 2021 that threatened homes near Dana Peak Park. “We all kind of partnered together to come up with this plan,” Klepac said. “We would create some sort of fuel break … along the north side of our boundary line from Dana Peak Park all the way out to Cedar Gap Park. It would give another defense for those homes and communities that adjoin Corps property.” Phase 1 of the project began several years ago but stalled. Renewed interest came in 2023 when Harker Heights hired a new fire chief and approached the Corps of Engineers to restart the work. The city also brought in Team Rubicon, a volunteer disaster-response organization, to help complete the next phase while providing hands-on training for its members. Klepac said the collaboration allowed the group to move far faster than expected. “We had planned to get maybe 100 yards in a week,” he said. “We were fortunate to bring in skid steers and heavier equipment. We blew that out of the water, to say the least.” Fire officials say threat was real Harker Heights Fire Marshal Chris Mahlstedt said the project became a priority after residents witnessed firsthand how quickly wildfire can spread. “A lot of people didn’t even see that as a threat until we had a fire that jumped the road,” Mahlstedt said. “All of a sudden, we’ve got residents freaking out and fire encroaching in their backyards.” Mahlstedt said the agencies originally expected to clear only a few hundred feet of vegetation. “With everyone working together, we completed well over a mile,” he said. “Nobody really anticipated we would do over a mile — and here we did.” Texas A&M Forest Service: Conditions made area a priority Texas A&M Forest Service representative Kylie Moran said the agency identified the area as high risk as early as 2018 due to heavy vegetation, steep terrain and prevailing winds. “Fire travels uphill, and our predominant winds here are out of the south,” Moran said. “We’ve got a neighborhood right on the other side of this heavy fuel loading, so we identified this area as a great place to put a barrier in for fire.” Forest Service crews used chain saws to remove smaller trees and brush, while leaving mature oaks to help lower fire intensity. Skid steers followed behind to haul debris away. Moran said the project not only improves firefighter access but also benefits the ecosystem. “Time and time again, the native flora and fauna flourish after these areas are cleared of forest debris,” she said. Team Rubicon: ‘It came down to leadership’ Team Rubicon representative Oscar Arauco said the project aligned with the organization’s mission to train volunteers in real-world conditions before they deploy to disasters. “It’s much more cost-effective to mitigate the effects of a disaster than to respond and recover from one,” Arauco said. He credited the project’s success to coordination among agencies. “A lot of things like this come down to leadership,” he said. “Alex Klepac did an amazing job at coordinating all these moving parts. Team Rubicon, Texas A&M Forest Service and the city of Harker Heights Fire Chief had a lot to offer, and when they were brought together, the work speaks for itself.” A model for future wildfire mitigation Klepac said the partnership demonstrated what can be accomplished when agencies pool resources. “It was ourselves, Team Rubicon, Texas A&M Forest Service, the city of Harker Heights, Bell County, and a bunch of local fire agencies,” he said. “We were able to do bigger chunks and move quicker.”
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2026 11:48 |
| Story ID: | 562162 |
| Location: | HARKER HEIGHTS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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