Wildfire activity forecast to increase around I-35 and into South Texas
Increases in wildfire potential to last Feb. 18-21
Wildfire activity is forecast to increase along and west of I-35 and into South Texas from Feb. 18-21 as dormant vegetation dries and becomes receptive to fire ignitions.
An abundance of freeze-cured grasses in these regions has contributed to recent wildfire activity and will once again be a factor in the increased wildfire potential for the weekend.
The wildfire potential will be greatest Feb. 20-21 west of I-35 around Wichita Falls, Mineral Wells, Lampasas, San Angelo, Midland, Lubbock, Childress and Abilene, as temperatures warm up and wind speeds over dry, dormant vegetation increase.
On Feb. 22, wildfire activity is expected to be confined to the prefrontal environment in Southwest Texas as an arctic cold front pushes to the south.
Fire update
Since Feb. 14, local and state fire resources, including Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters, have responded to 91 wildfires that burned 7,312 acres.
The dormant fire season, occurring during winter and spring, is generally characterized by freeze-cured grasses across the landscape and increased wind speeds surrounding dry cold-front passages. Peak fire activity during the dormant fire seasons occurs mid-February through mid-April.
“Wildfire activity has increased across the state and is driven by underlying drought and above-normal grass production from last year’s growing season,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service fire chief. “We have increased the number of personnel, equipment and aircraft in the state to assist with response as we’re concerned about large areas of the state.”
Resources available
Texas A&M Forest Service has fully staffed task forces and staged suppression equipment in Victoria, Kingsville, Childress, Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, Burkburnett, Fredericksburg, Smithville, McGregor, San Angelo and Mineral Wells. Additional agency personnel and overhead, including incident commanders with advanced qualifications, are prepositioned across areas of concern.
Texas A&M Forest Service has also increased the number of aviation resources available in the state with six single-engine air tankers and two Type 1 helicopters. In total, two large airtankers, nine single-engine airtankers, two Type 1 helicopters, two Type 3 helicopters, two air attack platforms and two aerial supervision modules are staged to assist with wildfire response efforts.
“This year, we’ve utilized aviation assets for response in areas with increased wildfire activity,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service Planning and Preparedness department head. “There is continued potential for wildfire activity to occur, and we want to be prepared by having aircraft in state, ready to respond.”
Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Division of Emergency Management also worked together to mobilize three additional strike teams via the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, TIFMAS, for a total of six teams to provide wildfire incident support.
Nine out of 10 wildfires in Texas are caused by humans. Texas A&M Forest Service encourages the public to avoid outdoor activities that cause a spark while warm, dry and windy conditions are present.
For current conditions and wildfire outlook, visit the Texas Fire Potential Outlook at https://bit.ly/3kemhbG.
Texas A&M Forest Service does not own any aviation resources. Instead, it uses federal aviation contracts through the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for all firefighting aircraft.
