The Bay Tree Lakes community in Bladen County lies along the shores of what are actually two lakes connected by a series of navigable canals; Bay Tree and Horsepen Lakes.

Residential construction along the lakes began in 1973 and today 106 home sites exist on the site. The area is popular as both a vacation destination and a permanent home to those who cherish its quiet, natural setting, and abundant wildlife.

The forest ecosystem surrounding Bay Tree Lakes is highly susceptible to large wildfire occurrence due to the difficulty of suppression efforts in the peat soils common to the region. Fires burning in the heavy concentrations of peat and deep layers of decaying pinestraw and trees can burn several feet into the ground, making control efforts hazardous to firefighters. During particularly dry periods, fires in the peat soils can burn for weeks at a time, causing poor air quality and reducing visibility along roads 

The Bay Tree Lakes Fire Department has responded to 49 wildfires in their district since 1998. One wildfire, which ignited during July of 2002, burned to the property line of the community and consumed 55 acres, sparking an interest by Bay Tree Lakes community leaders in the Firewise Communities USA program.

In response to the community inquiries, the Bladen County staff of the N.C. Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) and district Firewise Coordinator Michael Hardison assisted in the development of a Hazard Assessment document, detailing the historical occurrence of fire activity in the area, and particular problem areas in the community which might intensify the damage caused by a wildfire outbreak.

Following this initial step, the community Property Owners Association formed a Firewise Task Force to address specific problems highlighted in the assessment. With further assistance from partners, a Hazard Mitigation Plan was produced, describing specific steps homeowners could take to reduce the threat from wildfire.

Recommendations in the plan included the development of “defensible space” around homes, creation of an evacuation plan, utilization of consistent and highly visible property address markings and the installation of dry hydrants designed to reduce the amount of time required to transport water to the site. With help from a Firewise block grant, the community began taking action.

Steps already taken in response to the Mitigation Plan include the hosting of a community wide clean-up day to reduce dangerous fuel accumulations around homes, the installation of 19 dry fire hydrants, and the mounting of easily identifiable, non-flammable street signs.

In June, 2006, Bay Tree Lakes became the third community in southeastern NC, and the fifth community in the state to be recognized with Firewise Communities USA status. 

For information on the Bay Tree Lakes community Property Owners Association visit www.baytreecommunity.com