BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Despite the forecast calling for rain in some areas and the rainfall that has already fallen, Bexar County remains under a burn ban.
Texas is still in a drought and as the winter moves in, potential fire dangers increase.
With images of this year’s wildfires in south Bexar County still vivid, county commissioners unanimously approved $1.1 million just over two weeks ago.
The money will be used to buy much-needed heavy firefighting equipment.
In March, wildfires broke out in the Interstate 37 and Southton Road area and near the Atascosa-Bexar County line. The flames destroyed several structures, including homes, forced evacuations and scorched almost 600 acres.
Chris Lopez, the Bexar County fire marshal and emergency management coordinator, said since the county fire departments did not have their own firefighting bulldozer, fire crews had to wait for the Texas A&M Forest Service to deploy one to San Antonio from the Hill Country.
“Unfortunately, in order for equipment to be deployed here, they end up in Fredericksburg,” Lopez said. “So if we have a fire and we call for those assets, they’re coming from Fredericksburg.”
But that will not be the case come next year.
Commissioners’ approval for county funds has allowed fire officials to move forward with plans to buy specific equipment for Bexar County.
“We’ll be getting a firefighting dozer and it’s going to have to have a large truck and trailer to be able to transport it to any of the scenes,” Lopez said. “We’re getting a firefighting skid steer that can get into tighter areas than a big bulldozer.”
Lopez said had the county had its own dozer, perhaps the March wildfires could have been contained and put out sooner.
While county crews waited for the dozer to arrive, Lopez said they ended up using one from Public Works and using that agency’s dozer operator. He said the latter part added to the need for the county to buy its own.
“You’re talking about civilian dozer operators who — for lack of a better way of putting it — they’re not used to putting their life on the line every day,” Lopez said. “I had supervisors who called me directly and they were very concerned about their people and their safety. And we don’t ever want that.”
Lopez said the county’s new skid steer is scheduled to arrive in a few months, while the dozer is set to be delivered in mid-2026 and county firefighters go through training.
Until then, Lopez said fire crews with the Bexar County Emergency Service Districts remain ready to respond to any fire emergency. But he said he will be asking commissioners to approve a firework restriction ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations that will take place during the dry winter fire season.
“We will be making the recommendation for the restriction of sales of the rockets with sticks and missiles with fins to our commissioner’s court,” Lopez said.
Fireworks are legal out in the county, but Lopez said he wants to work with firework vendors to do everything possible to prevent fire emergencies to protect people and property.
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