Installing firebreaks is a critical step landowners can take to help slow or stop the spread of wildfires, according to Justin Mallett, consultant forester for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program. “Firebreaks remove or restrict the fuels a wildfire needs to burn,” Mallett said. “Essentially, you are removing one side of the fire triangle. By doing so, you also make it easier for wildland firefighters to refresh and strengthen the lines to stop a fire quickly.” For landowners who are creating firebreaks for the first time, Mallett recommends starting with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Arkansas Practice Specification. The specifications are required for landowners participating in an NRCS cost-share program, but they are also a valuable resource for others.