SAN ANTONIO – The Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the state preparedness level after crews across the state responded to dozens of wildfires fires over the weekend.
The service said it was raised to Level 4 due to the high volume of wildfires the state has experienced recently, as well as the potential for them to spread and an increased need for resources.
The preparedness plan means “a heavy commitment of state and local resources for long durations is likely required,” according to a flyer that explains the different levels.
“Continued mobilization of interagency resources and the activation of incident management teams may occur,” the flyer adds.
Over the past seven days, the service, which is the lead agency for wildfire response in the state, responded to 80 fires that spanned more than 8,500 acres. Forty-one of those fires occurred since Friday.
In Hays County, the Oak Grove Fire burned 400 acres after it started on Saturday evening, prompting evacuations and destroying one home and several buildings.
As of 1:30 p.m. Monday, the fire was 65% contained. The cause of the fire is unknown and there have not been any reports of injuries.
On Friday evening, one home near Bulverde Road and TPC Parkway burned down due to a large grass fire. Two separate fire chiefs who responded to the scene said they suspect welding sparks started that fire. The fire marshall has yet to confirm the cause.
Due to a significant increase in fire activity across the state, potential for large fires as well as the increased...
Posted by Texas A&M Forest Service on Monday, August 7, 2023
With only a little more than an inch of rain this summer, there is plenty of dry vegetation out there to act as fuel for fires.
Even though fire danger was high in the last few days, winds will be slightly higher through the middle of this week. Higher winds can easily spread fires. Fire danger will be highest in the afternoons — when it’s hottest and driest outside.
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