The onslaught began just two days after Christmas 2005, when a wildfire raged across the town of Cross Plains. Two died and 116 homes were lost. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Just 76 days later, the state marked the worst wildfire day in its history as fire swept across 1 million acres just east of Amarillo. Twelve people died in what has been described as the single largest burning event in the nation. Things haven’t gotten better. During the last two years, Texas Forest Service has responded to more than 2,800 fires that charred nearly 1.4 million acres. This past April, more than two dozen fires burned 150,000 acres in one weekend alone. Wildfires are only getting worse. And we know why. The state population has doubled since 1970 and an increasing number of those residents are moving into previously wild areas, unaware of the dangers. Add that to the seemingly never ending drought and you’ve got a potentially deadly combination. We may not be able to stop Mother Nature. But we can make sure we’re prepared. That’s where you come in. Texas Forest Service is hiring 50 new wildland firefighters as outlined in the Texas Wildfire Protection Plan. The measure increases state capacity and reduces dependence on outside resources by focusing on five key areas: Predictive Services, Prevention & Mitigation, Planning & Preparedness, Local Capacity Building and Rapid Response. State lawmakers during the last legislative session allocated $9 million per year to fund the disaster response plan.
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