BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Hot, dry and windy conditions are fueling dangerous wildfire potential across the state of Texas, and the Brazos Valley is not in the clear.
In the Texas Panhandle, crews are actively battling the Hutchinson Fire in Hutchinson County, which has burned nearly 3,000 acres. A red flag warning is in effect for that region, with temperatures potentially reaching triple digits and humidity dropping to critical levels.
Laura Stevens, public information officer with Texas A&M Forest Service, sat down with us to explain what’s driving the threat — and what Texans can do to stay safe.
Stevens says the combination of heat, wind and below-normal rainfall over the past several months has left vegetation across Texas drier than it should be this time of year.
“We might see a little cooler temperatures with that cold front coming in, but it’s going to pick right back up,” Stevens said. “That back and forth is drying out that vegetation. We should see some green up normally right around this time, but we’ve seen less rain the past couple of months.”
Closer to home, Stevens says the Brazos Valley is currently at a moderate fire potential — slightly elevated, but helped by recent rainfall that has encouraged some green up in the area.
“It’s never zero. There’s always a risk,” she said. “Even if there is some moisture, it’s still windy, which is drying out that vegetation.”
With bluebonnets in full bloom, Stevens is urging Texans to use caution when pulling off the side of the road for photos.
“If you don’t turn off your vehicle, make sure you’re not parking in tall, dry grass — because your vehicle is hot and it could ignite that grass right underneath it,” she said. She also warned that running over debris on the roadside could cause a flat tire, and a rim scraping pavement can throw sparks into dry grass.
“Always make sure you can safely pull off, that it’s not private property, and that it’s not in tall grass,” Stevens added. “Also, there might be some rattlesnakes out there. You might want to watch out for those.”
Stevens says the single biggest cause of human-caused wildfires in Texas is debris burning, and the numbers back it up.
“Without fail, 45% of the fires we had this past week were caused by careless debris burning,” she said.
Her advice: always check whether a burn ban is in place in your county, keep burn piles small, avoid windy and hot days and never leave a fire unattended.
“Make sure it’s completely out before you walk away,” Stevens said.
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