Flower Mound firefighters extinguished a fast-moving grass fire on The Flower Mound on Tuesday afternoon before it reached neighboring homes.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at 3:49 p.m. and requested additional trucks and mutual aid from Lewisville to help contain the fire as wind helped it spread quickly on The Mound, 2450 Flower Mound Road, according to Flower Mound Fire Department spokesman Brandon Barth. The fire caused minor damage to fences, decks and yards of neighboring homes, but didn’t reach any homes before firefighters doused the fire.
Following an investigation, the Town of Flower Mound determined a construction crew, which was contracted by the Town, sparked the fire while cutting rebar using a K12 circular saw near the southeast corner of The Flower Mound. At this time, the fire has been ruled accidental. Town officials are working with the construction company on next steps, including responding to insurance claims from property owners who were affected by the fire.
Flower Mound Fire Chief Paul Henley credited multiple factors for his department’s success in getting the fire under control so quickly, including the swift response from firefighters and previously planned controlled burns the department has conducted at The Flower Mound.
“Because we’ve done this so many times before, it was like calling a familiar play from our playbook,” said Henley. “The incident commander on scene already knew exactly where he should be placing his resources and how he should be using those resources. Our firefighters knew how to contain the fire quickly and safely, because they’ve done it in a controlled scenario many times before.”
Additionally, Henley credited the Flower Mound Foundation, the nonprofit aimed at preserving the historic site, for creating defensible space between The Flower Mound and the surrounding structures. This assisted the fire department in stopping the spread to nearby homes and other structures.
FMFD often conducts prescribed burns on The Flower Mound in the winter, and Barth said the department was planning to do another one in early November.
“Fast-moving fires are good for The Mound, they help burn out dead overgrowth and allow seeds to germinate,” he said. “Even though it’s earlier than we were planning, I would expect next spring The Mound will grow back quite vibrantly.”
