The director of the Texas Forest Service, James Hall, has issued an appeal to Texans to do everything they can to prevent wildfires after the driest July, August, and September in recorded history. Dry conditions and a heavy fuel load in rural areas of the state have contributed to extreme fire danger.
Current conditions are very severe.
Across the state, we are building on top of a drought that's been in existence for four to five years. We have an extreme fire danger now. Approximately 185 counties are currently under a burn ban, and about 10-12 are being added each day. As the drought continues to build, you can expect wildfires to ignite faster and spread faster, and these are more difficult to suppress. We just must not let a big fire start.