Too late for us, bout the time of this post, the family ranch in SW Jack county was burning. Fortunately, no one lives on it, but all structures burned to the ground, and no understory is left anywhere on 375 acres.
I expect we will lose the majority of our post oaks as a much smaller fire back in 83 (which hit about 6 weeks earlier in the season) killed every post oak in its path. Post & Blackjack are the dominant tree species, with cedar elm in the bottoms, some ash, eastern red cedar, and, of course, mesquite. Unfortunately, the largest mesquite flat looks to have survived as it had no understory to feed the fire.
Was thinking of cutting the larger post oaks for milling. I may still do that, but now I'm thinking of just cutting or buldozing everything that looks like it didn't survive and, ASAP, putting in saplings from TFS, and/or discing and planting legumes. After the 83 fire, the dead trees released their moisture back into the ground & before we knew it, oceans of greenbriar & sumac sprang up.
Any tips much appreciated. It's leased grazing, but what management I do is pretty much for wildlife and preserving the old Cross Timbers. Could definitely use advice on a chainsaw, as I call fell almost as fast with an axe as my sorry old Homelite.
P.S. Saw the tankers overhead today while sifting through the ashes of the mobile home. They looked busy. In 40 years, I haven't seen that much air traffic.
