State Donates House For Fire Prevention

EVANSVILLE — A house donated by the state will be the starting point for fire prevention training and programs that reach residents and fire departments countywide, said Dennis Greenoe, founder of a local safety program.

“We’re going to teach a lot of fire prevention and training that is out there,” Greenoe said.

Greenoe is founder of Evansville Fire Prevention, a nonprofit organization that is not part of the Fire Department but promotes fire prevention and safety. The group started last year and is part of the Arkansas Firewise USA program, which is a wildfire-safety initiative.

Wildfires burned 276 acres of land in Washington County last year. Statewide, 27,549 acres burned, according to statistics from the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

Evansville has had a couple of fires and a tornado that left families with nowhere to go in the past year or so, Greenoe said. The house also will provide residents a temporary place to stay when disaster strikes, he said.

The Commissioner of State Lands Office recently announced the 616-squarefoot house at 20280 Caswell Lane, which the state has owned since 1938, was given to the Evansville organization. The property is worth about $35,000, according to county property records.

Greenoe said the home and garage are on about one-third of an acre. The garage will be renovated and used as an office and the home will be used for training, community events and for shelter, he said. Landscaping around the house will serve as an example of how to clear property to prevent fires, Greenoe said.

So far, only about five residents have signed up for the group’s prevention service, Greenoe said. That should change as the organization starts promoting itself more, and the community gets more involved, he said.

The property was transferred to the organization through the public and homestead land donation program, said Nikki Heck, director of public relations for the commissioner’s office. The office can donate property it acquires by tax-delinquency for public use, according to its website.

The commissioner hopes the donation will encourage other communities to apply for land donations, according to a news release. Government and other agencies, including fire departments, are eligible to receive the donations.

Fundraisers are planned for later this year, Greenoe said, and the organization is seeking donations through an online fundraising platform. At least one business has already made a donation, he said.

ANDY SHUPE NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Dennis Greenoe, fire prevention officer for the Evansville Fire Department, leads a tour of a house and detached garage that has been donated by the state for use as a fire prevention office and temporary shelter for residents affected by fire.