Wildfire threat could continue throughout fall

Dangerous wildfire conditions that have plagued Texas for nearly a year are expected to continue through the fall and possibly into the winter, according to a recent wildfire risk assessment report.

Texas remains mired in one of the worst droughts in state history and there appears to be little relief in sight, according to the Southern Area Fire Risk Assessment, which is calling for below average moisture and above average temperatures through the end of the year.

Compounding the problem, the relentless drought has left in its wake an overabundance of dead and drying vegetation including high-risk fuels like pines and junipers that burn intensely.

"With much of the state so critically dry, a wildfire could spread quickly - especially with the fall winds that will pick up as fronts move through the state," says Tom Spencer, head of the Predictive Services Department for the Texas Forest Service.

"These factors were all in place over Labor Day weekend. They can really create a dangerous situation where the wildfire is in control."

It was Labor Day weekend that the devastating Bastrop Fire ignited, ultimately charring more than 34,000 acres and destroying more than 1,500 homes as the blaze roared through vast fields of pine trees.

Spencer says this fall could be the most active in recent history. Traditionally, wildfire occurrence is low during this time of year, with the fires that do ignite limited to East Texas. But this fall, the scope of the danger zone has expanded to include most of Texas and even some surrounding states.

Adding to the complexity is the fact that wildfires are occurring within close proximity to highly-populated, metropolitan areas, Spencer says. This could be made even worse by the gusty fall winds which can trigger multiple fires occurring over large areas of the state.

Though parts of the state may see small amounts of rain over the next few months, it likely won't be the long, sustained, soaking rains that are needed to break the drought.

Texas Forest Service Fire Chief Mark Stanford urges residents across the state to be aware of the dangerous conditions, adding that their safety is paramount.

"The situation here in Texas - the scope, complexity and tempo we're facing - is just unprecedented," says Stanford, who oversees the agency's forest resource protection division. "When these conditions are in place, wildfires can be catastrophic and deadly. They can become a true force of nature."

For precautionary information, visit www.TexasFirestorm.org.