Learning from Texas wildfires : Bastrop State Park and beyond

This thesis is part of work completed for a National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) grant awarded in May 2012 to Texas Parks and Wildlife partnering with University of Texas, Austin (UT) Office of Sponsored Project and UT alumna Casey Gallagher. The purpose of the grant was to provide Bastrop State Park (BSP), following the 2011 Bastrop Complex Wildfire, with information on assessing fire-damaged park structures and guidance on preparing structures for future wildfires. The following chapters cover the historical background of the park and its structures, a brief account of the fire event, physical analysis of burned park structures, and a two part discussion on preparedness. The first preparedness chapter speaks generally on integration of cultural resource professionals in emergency planning and recovery at state, national and international levels, while the second discusses new options for fire prevention at BSP including defensible space, fire retardants, and alternative materials.