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Wildfire risks increase across Texas due to high winds, dry vegetation
Texas A&M Forest Service sent out a warning regarding the potential for large wildfires to occur across Texas this week. The agency said there’s also a possibility of a wildfire outbreak on Tuesday, March 29 in the High Plains.
Other areas of concern are near Childress, Lubbock, Abilene, Mineral Wells, Brownwood, Midland, San Angelo, Fredericksburg, Del Rio, Laredo, and Brownsville, according to the agency.
“As conditions across a large portion of the state worsen, wildfires that ignite are burning more intensely and are frequently resistant to control,” Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief, stated in a news release on Monday, March 28. “Unfortunately, little to no precipitation is forecast for the immediate future and we expect the current level of wildfire activity to continue for some time.”
The critical to extremely dry vegetation across the landscape will support wildfire activity when exposed to critical fire weather. Those conditions include well-above normal temperatures and increased wind speeds, Texas A&M Forest Service explained.
By Tuesday, the potential for large wildfires will escalate as critical fire weather is expected to develop over a large area of the state west of the I-35 corridor. The fire environment is likely to continue to support the increased potential for large wildfires on Wednesday, March 30 for the Hill Country and South Texas, the agency stated.
This month, state and local resources have responded to 726 wildfires that burned 164,257 acres across the state. Over the past seven days, fire resources responded to 121 wildfires that burned 35,728 acres. The impacted areas include the Crittenburg Complex in Coryell County (est. 33,175 acres, 0% contained), the Eastland Complex in Eastland County (54,513 acres, 90% contained), the Das Goat Fire in Medina County (1,092 acres, 50% contained), and the Ramsey Fire in Brown County (3,100 acres, 65% contained).
“State, local, and federal firefighters have been extremely busy responding to increased wildfire activity,” Rich Gray, Texas A&M Forest Service Chief Regional Fire Coordinator, stated. “Fire resources are mobilized to areas of concern for a quick and effective response to any requests for assistance.”
Nine out of 10 wildfires in Texas are human-caused. Texas A&M Forest Service encourages the public to avoid outdoor activities that cause a spark while warm, dry, and windy conditions are present.
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