...They check in daily to the Forest Service's (click title to entry - thank you) command center in this north-central Texas town, no days off, waiting for the call that puts them into the teeth of another galloping, 1,500-degree wildfire. A typical summer wildfire season begins in June. This year, they've been fighting fires since early February....
A worker points to a map of Texas with locations for fire staging areas at the Fire Operations Center. The Texas Forest Service, which set up a command center in this Texas town, about 75 miles west of Dallas, has brought in 229 firefighting personnel from around the country, from Oregon to Arizona and Florida, to help fight the fires.
The charred remains of a car which started a 20-acre grass fire sits alone in Steele Creek, Texas. Gov. Rick Perry has issued disaster proclamations for 167 counties due to wildfires and issued burn bans on 152 counties. Gov. Rick Perry has issued disaster proclamations for 167 counties due to wildfires and issued burn bans on 152 counties.
Property owner Ray Fahnders walks aside a smoky ravine on his ranch in Steele Creek, Texas. A drought that started in late 2007 and has broiled central and southern Texas has been the main impetus for the wildfires, said John Nielsen-Gammon,. the state climatologist. Record-breaking, triple-digit heat combined with low humidity and very little rainfall has created the tinderbox conditions, he said.
A piece of construction equipment that was used in preparing fire breaks ultimately fell victim to the grass fire in Steele Creek. "Texas has the perfect storm lined up for fires," says Stewart Turner, a fire behavior analyst working with the Texas Forest Service. "We're looking at extreme fire conditions."
