CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you went outside Wednesday, you probably noticed the dry, stiff wind that makes it incredibly easy for fires to start.
Fires have been breaking out around the Coastal Bend quite frequently over the past few weeks, and Wednesday was no exception. The low humidity, high winds and dry vegetation are all factors in what could become a very busy day for firefighters.
The Texas A&M Forest Service has been working to spread awareness. They formed a special team to educate people about fire safety and prevention. In the meantime, other area fire departments are doing what they can to make sure they're prepared for the worst.
According to Ryan Burns with the Texas A&M Forest Service, spreading awareness is key to helping mitigate the spread of potential brush fires around the Coastal Bend.
"We're working with school districts. We're visiting fire departments," Burns said. "We're going to different themed events handing out information, raising awareness of the high wildfire danger we have in South Texas."
Burns recently visited a little league baseball team in Kingsville, where he talked about fire danger and how it can impact local greenery.
"Vegetation that's very receptive to ignition. So we had a very productive growth season this past summer with lots of grass growth and now we find that all this grass, it's freeze cured with the frosts that we had come through earlier this season," Burns said. "That's the recipe for very high wildfire activity."
Part of the fire education program is learning how to better protect homes from potential wildfires.
"So having your house ready to go with an evacuation kit. Having a route planned. Prepare your yard," Burns said. "Keep it lean, clean and green at least out to about 30 feet or so. Keep your yard trimmed. And take those measures just to give yourself the best chance."
Burns said that while preventive measures won't make your home fire proof, it may give more time for firefighters to reach and save your home.
Another indication of current wildfire danger comes from the Annaville Fire Department. Recently, they moved up the unveiling of two new brush fire trucks because of the critical fire danger. Capt. Ben Carrizales with the department said the trucks are already starting to be put to good use.
"Due to the recent high fire danger and all the brush fires that we've been going to and mutual aiding other counties, we just felt it necessary to put them in service today. Kind of bump it up," Carrizales said.
The two new trucks are worth half a million dollars, but because of volunteer work on the equipment, it didn't cost that much to purchase. Carrizales said the two new trucks compliment the bigger trucks they used to fight fires in heavy brush country, because they carry more water and equipment.
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