Constant wildfires and extreme heat taking a toll on first responders in Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Fighting near constant fires in these triple digit temperatures is taking a physical and mental toll on first responders in Texas.
"So far this week, we have crews out in the Wichita Falls area, out at Possum Kingdom Lake, and we also had crews yesterday out in Bridgeport," said Deputy Chief Brandon Barth with the Flower Mound Fire Department.
The Flower Mound Fire Department sends strike teams out 14 days at a time to help firefighters in more rural areas of the state.
The deployments don't affect the services they're able to provide locally, but they can be exhausting.
"We've had deployments going nonstop it feels like since the end of 2021, specifically for wildland fires, and we don't see an end to that," Barth said. "We are almost having crews out continuously and doing crew swaps. There is some burnout on some of the departments, so trying to rotate crews and departments so everybody is able to share the load."
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, fire season in Texas is getting longer and longer.
"This year has been strange because we've had fire season across the whole state since November," said Adam Turner with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The grass fires grow quickly because of how dry things are, which makes them even more difficult to get under control. Crews have been logging long hours in brutal conditions.
"Wildland fire involves a lot of hiking and walking with your equipment, and the heat is just adding to the fatigue on the members," said Barth.
Without a break in the forecast, there's no end in sight from the demanding work.
"Our predictive services are expecting us to continue to have higher than average fire – fire starts and occurrence – all the way through October and potentially into November this year," Turner said.
Nine out of ten wildfires in Texas are caused by people, according to the forest service.
"So everybody needs to play their part to keep the fires down, keep the firemen safe from responding to the fires, and hopefully protect their neighbors' property," said Barth.
To help keep new fires from starting, firefighters ask people to follow burn bans, reduce fire hazards around your home, and be mindful of anything that could cause a spark, like a chain dragging from a trailer on the road.
Fire departments also appreciate water or Gatorade donations, especially if they can bring it to firefighters in more rural areas of the state.
The volunteer fire departments fighting the 1148 fire near Possum Kingdom Lake could also use items like sunscreen, chapstick, baby wipes, granola bars and jerky. You can drop it off at the Westlake Chapel Baptist Church on FM 1148 in Graham.