Everything You Need to Know About Texas Wildfires

The Historic Drought

States all across the country are suffering from a long, dry drought. Temperatures around and above 100 degrees has become the norm. This historic drought has been exceptionally hard for the state of Texas. Fire conditions throughout the state remain at a very high level all in part due to this historic drought. In this hub, I will detail everything you need to know about these Texas wildfires in an effort to inform and educate.

What's Causing These Fires - Fire Conditions

There are 4 main elements that add to the cause of wildfires, especially Texas wildfires: high pressure system, dryness, wind winds, and low humidity.

A high pressure system over Texas has enabled drought conditions to continue longer than usual. The combination of hot temperatures and drought conditions create an extremely high level of dryness. Grass and trees are the victims of the dryness. Grass dies and trees begin to shrivel due to a shortage of moisture making these now dead or near dead plants susceptible to fires. As the high pressure aids to the longevity of drought conditions, relative humidity and high winds also play a huge factor in wildfires. A high percentage of water vapor located within the air means a high relative humidity. When there's a lower percentage of water vapor located within the air, lower relative humidity levels occur. So, wildfires are likely with low relative humidity due to the absence of water in the air.

The key factor in the growth and spread of wildfires is wind. With winds gusting near 30 mph and over, fires move at an alarming rate, sometimes moving as far as a few football fields within a minute. Watch this video to see how high winds play an important role in the development and spread of a wildfire:

What Sparks the Fires

1) Cigarette butts

2) Electrical shorts (power poles)

3) Lightning

4) Sparks from roadways

5) Combustion

The fire weather conditions can be put in a simple formula (for all you math people):

High pressure system and/or drought conditions + very low relative humidity + gusty winds = extreme fire behavior.

The Worst Type of Wildfire: A Firestorm

Firestorms are wildfires that are so extreme they produce their own wind system. Simply put, they are incredibly dangerous. Usually, the only option is to vacate the immediate area as fire fighters try to keep up with the firestorm. It uses its own wind system to move very quickly, whether that be through thick brush or heavily wooded acres. The most recent firestorm was the wildfire in Bastrop county that burned nearly 35,000 acres in a matter of a few days and destroyed 1,500+ homes.

How Fire Fighters Stop Wildfires

There are 3 main ways to halt the further growth of wildfires. 2 of these are in the fire fighters' control. These 2 are fire lines and air attacks.

Fire Lines - Fire lines are constructed by the Fire Department with the help of the Forest Service. In Texas, the Texas Forest Service responds when requested by local Fire Departments or by the Fire Command. Bulldozers position themselves in front of the fire and begin clearing a path. When the bulldozers clear the brush, limbs, and dead grass a path of dirt and sand now remains. Basically, a fire line is a path of cleared vegetation that serves to prevent the fire from growing. When the fire hits the fire line, it will likely stop progression due to lack of fuel.

Air Attacks - When a fire gets out of control for local Fire Departments, they will request the Forest Service to responding for air attacks. Specifically, the Texas Forest Service has several aircraft specifically designed for battling wildfires. Single engine air tankers, helitankers, and more are often dispatched to the fire scene if need be. The DC10 is also a special aircraft specifically designed for wildfires. Read more about the famous DC10 at its website.

What Can You Do

You, yes YOU, can play a vital part in prevent wildfires, brush fires, grass fires, and forest fires.

1) Do NOT throw your cigarette butts out the window of your vehicle. Something as small as a cigarette butt has the potential to spark a large fire.

2) Keep up with the latest fire weather conditions and pay attention. If the fire weather conditions are favorable for wildfires, be on the lookout for smoke or flames in your area, especially if you live out in the country. The quicker Fire Department crews get on location, the better the chance of containment.

3) If fire weather conditions are very high, limit the possibilities of sparking a fire by accident. Grilling outdoors and burning a camp fire are 2 examples.

Thanks for reading this article and stay SAFE!

JohnB0127

My website: www.NorthTexasLuxury.com | www.DFWscanner.net
Twitter: @JIBurg4