Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional state wildfire response resources in anticipation of increased fire weather conditions in parts of the Texas Panhandle, according to an Aug. 4 news release from the governor’s office.
“I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional state wildfire response resources ahead of increased fire danger in the Panhandle,” Abbott said in the release. “Local responders will continue to have full access to state personnel, equipment, and aircraft to protect lives and property.”
August is typically the peak month for wildfires in Texas because of hot, dry conditions, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, and wildfire potential is expected to increase across large regions of the state due to dry vegetation, with heightened concern over the coming days in the Panhandle and North Texas.
The activated resources span more than a dozen state agencies, the release said. The Texas A&M Forest Service is providing firefighters, heavy equipment, and more than 10 federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including single-engine air tankers for retardant drops. The Texas National Guard has Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters with firefighting capability, while the Department of State Health Services is fielding wildland fire support packages of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles.
Other agencies supporting the effort include the Texas Department of Transportation, which is monitoring road conditions; the Department of Public Safety, with troopers patrolling roadways; Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens and state park police; agricultural response agents from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas Animal Health Commission; and the Public Utility Commission, Railroad Commission, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which are monitoring utilities, natural gas supply, and air and water quality, according to the release.
The Texas A&M Forest Service raised the state’s Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 2 last week, signaling elevated fire danger in some regions. State officials urged Texans to avoid activities that may cause sparks, make an emergency plan, follow instructions from local officials, and keep emergency supplies on hand.