WILDFIRES & DISASTERS

  • FIRE DANGER: ADVISORIES

    Texas A&M Forest Service continually analyzes current and predicted weather conditions, wildfire occurrence, and the presence and availability of vegetative fuels throughout the year to maintain a continual assessment of wildfire risk at the state, regional and local level. Utilizing this information, agency staff develop daily and seasonal forecasts to assist the state and local government entities in preparing for and responding to periods of elevated fire danger or fire seasons.

     


     + Burn Bans
    Burn bans are enacted by local county government. Texas A&M Forest Service collects this information and provides a daily statewide map showing counties currently under a ban.

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     + Observed & Forecast Fire Danger

    Fire danger consists of the various factors of fuels, weather, topography and risk combined to assess the daily fire potential on an area. The most commonly accepted definition of fire danger is “the resultant descriptor of the combination of both constant and variable factors which affect the initiation, spread and difficulty of control of wildfires on an area.”

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     + Drought
    The Keetch-Byram Drought Index is an index used to determine forest fire potential. The index is based on a daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture (assumed to have a maximum storage capacity of 8 inches) and is expressed in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion.

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     + Fire Weather & Outlooks
    Texas A&M Forest Service is able to predict fire behavior for certain areas and conditions. Texas A&M Forest Service Predictive Services Department staff develop seasonal forecasts that assist state and local government entities in preparing for upcoming fire seasons.

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     + Wildfire Risk
    In response to increasing demand for more accurate and up-to-date wildfire risk information across the state, Texas A&M Forest Service established the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Project.

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  • RELATED INFORMATION