See photos pre- and post-treatment courtesy of Black Fire personnel at the end of the article

Silver City, NM; July 15, 2016 - While fireline personnel continued to search for hotspots near the perimeter of the Black fire, sawyers and swampers concentrated efforts on brushing around the Black Peak communications site yesterday, creating a buffer zone around equipment in the event a future wildfire threatens the area again. Sawyers run chainsaws and G

The labor-intensive work done around the communication site is very much like the recommendations given to homeowners living in or near the wildland urban interface, or where homes are built among trees, brush, and flammable vegetation. GǣWe must lead by example as a firefighting agency, and clear out brush and trees from around our important values, and communication sites are extremely important,Gǥ states Gabe Holguin, Gila National Forest Fire Staff. GǣHopefully someone will see what we do and realize how important it is to take steps to harden their valuable investments, their homes, against wildfire.Gǥ Taking these steps not only increase the chances of structures making it through a wildfire, it also helps protect the lives of fire personnel by providing them a safer area to work in, if itG