ROCKDALE, Texas (KRHD) — The Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department and the Texas A&M Forest Service are preparing for an increased risk of wildfires on Tuesday.
- Dry grasses, rising temperatures, and potentially windy conditions are putting counties in Central Texas and the Brazos Valley at high risk for wildfires.
- Milam County enacted another burn ban on March 2 and Bell County on March 3, while the Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department is visiting recent fires to make sure they don't re-ignite.
- The Texas A&M Forest Service encourages residents to adhere to the burn ban, trim bushes and grasses, clean up leaves, pack valuables like prescriptions, and create an evacuation plan if a fire starts.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"What's happening right now is something that we generally see every winter," Texas A&M Forest Service Public Information Officer Kiely Moran said.
Because Tuesday is set to be the highest risk for wildfires, Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Warren Matous is preparing for the worst.
"Where we're standing right now is the Silver Springs fire that we were at yesterday. We're back out here re-evaluating it today because our humidity is dropping today and our temperature is going up," Matous said.
"We don't need this fire to start back up, so we're going to check it out and get it knocked out before it gets to that point."
Besides the potentially windy conditions, temperatures will rise to the mid-70s and with fuel like dry grasses and trees —
"That's an extremely dangerous situation for the fire environment," Matous said.
15ABC spoke with Kiely Moran with the Texas A&M Forest Service about the specific risks to our area.
"The risk is going to be higher in areas that have a finer, like flashy fuel, such as grasses and smaller shrubs that are going to dry out faster," he said.
In Milam County, half the county will face an extreme risk of wildfire. That’s why the county put in place the burn ban, and both agencies are encouraging neighbors to follow it.
"So, number one, don't burn because we are under a burn ban. While you still are allowed to burn trash, you do have to have it covered and don't leave it by itself," Matous said.
"Actually, 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans, so the other 10% is caused by natural ignitions like lightning, so we can prevent 90% of these wildfires," Moran said.
