7 Unsuspectingly Hazardous Items That May Spark Texas Wildfires
- Texas counties are under burn bans
- Outdoor burning is currently prohibited
- Common items can spark wildfires
Texas is so dry this summer that we can't even make humidity jokes. It's usually hot and humid, but due to a drought affecting 163 counties, the temperature is going up, and the head index is going down.
Some counties and towns have now extended their burn bans for 60 days or more. Even if we were to get some rain, it would take a lot for it to move the needle.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, there is a high potential for large wildfires west of I-35 and into Central and East Texas. There is a lot of critically dry fuel, just waiting for us to accidentally spark a fire.
Active Wildfires:
Powder Keg Pine Fire, Bastrop County - 100 acres, 50% contained
Rafael Fire, Hidalgo County - 46 acres, 95% contained
Classic Canyon Fire, Coryell County - 235 acres, 95% contained
Contained Wildfires (100%):
Anderson 2705 Fire, Anderson County - 13 acres
Cherokee 2710 Fire, Cherokee County - 1 acre
Shelby 2703 Fire, Shelby County - 3 acres
Shelby 2707 Fire, Shelby County - 0.8 acre
Jasper 2708 Fire, Jasper County - 83 acres
Blum Fire, Hill County - 300 acre
Hillside Fire, Eastland County - 2 acres
Wildfires Start In Many Different Ways
The one thing that we need the most, rain, could spark a wildfire. Many Texans got a few pop-up showers this week.
Those small isolated thunderstorms generate lightning that could ignite the waiting fuel on the ground. Wildfires organically happened this way for hundreds of thousands of years.
They don't need any help from us. Be aware of these uncommon things that could set off a wildfire in Texas.
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