Grassy Knob

Certified Firewise Community/USA

Grassy Knob was presented a plaque and highway signs during a luncheon and recognition ceremony Dec. 14 in the Garden View Room of the Clinton Presidential Library. Pictured are at right are Pete Hackley, Grassy Knob FireWise Board member; Joe Luker, Grassy Knob FireWise Board member; Ted Meyer, Grassy Knob FireWise Board member; John Shannon, State Forester; Tony Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant; Patricia Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant; Michele Steinberg, Firewise Communities Support Manager; and Don McBride, Assistant State Forester-Protection.

The Grassy Knob community is an area located in Northwest Arkansas, about 8 miles west of Eureka Springs. The creation of Beaver Lake attracted residents to this beautifully forested area.

The Grassy Knob Volunteer Fire Association was formed in 1978, after a few couples met in a local backyard and discussed the need for fire protection in the area.

The fire house and community building is located along Highway 187, and services the Grassy Knob community which extends along two main arteries, Highway 187 and Mundell Road. These roads run along the ridges of the mountains with housing areas branching off onto lesser roads that meander through the heavily wooded hills and down to the lakeshore.

The community continues to grow at a rapid pace. The area is dotted with homes, but also includes a large amount of vacant land. The Grassy Knob Volunteer Fire Association membership has grown from only a few households to 587 members. Although most of the members are permanent residents, there are a few week-end or vacation homes in the community.

Residents of Grassy Knob decided to become an Arkansas FireWise Community after a meeting on Sept. 12, 2005 with Tony Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant. The FireWise board is dedicated to improving fire protection for their community, and is currently in the process of educating the residents of Grassy Knob about the FireWise program and making improvements in the community whenever possible.

On Oct. 26, 2006, the community was visited by a Regional Federal Review Team assessing the impact the Firewise program has had on communities in Arkansas (below). After a PowerPoint presentation at the Fire Station, the group toured the community to see first-hand the high wildfire risk many residents face.

Below are photos from one of the FireWise mitigation projects hosted by the FireWise Board.

Right: Members of the Regional Federal Review Team listen to a presentation held at the Grassy Knob fire house and community building.

Above: Tony Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant and a firefighter, first met with residents of Grassy Knob on Sept. 12, 2005. The town became a certified Arkansas FireWise community in the summer of 2006.

Before

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After

2006 Mitigation Project

Before

During

After