Waco firefighters respond Friday afternoon to a grass fire that started with an auto accident on Steinbeck Bend Road near Lake Shore Drive. State fire officials warn that wildfire danger is elevated this weekend.
With rainfall only a rumor in August, Waco and much of McLennan County remain a tinderbox. A match, lightning strike or overheated car engine could ignite a blaze that sets local fire departments to scrambling. And don't expect the risk to disappear in the next few days, state wildfire experts said.
"Most of Texas will continue to see hot and dry conditions," despite isolated moisture created by Hurricane Laura, said Luke Kanclerz, who released a report this week from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Waco firefighters respond Friday afternoon to a grass fire that started with an auto accident on Steinbeck Bend Road near Lake Shore Drive. State fire officials warn that wildfire danger is elevated this weekend.
Conditions will get worse before they get better, said meteorologist Allison Prater, speaking from the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth. She said high temperatures in the Waco area Saturday will hover around 103 to 104 degrees, and a heat advisory will remain in effect until 7 p.m.
The heat index could push 110 or 111, Prater said.
"A ridge of high pressure is sitting over the region, which is causing the heat," said Prater. "Chance of rain? Nothing until Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Throughout the weekend, it looks pretty dry. Early next week there is the chance of isolated thunderstorms. Tuesday going into Wednesday, you might see scattered storms, as a cool front moves into North Texas."
The Texas A&M Forest Service says the hot, dry conditions pose a threat.
"The potential for increased fire activity Aug. 28-30 is high generally west of Interstate 35 from Forth Worth to San Antonio," Kanclerz said in a news release. "Even after periods of short duration rainfall, underlying drought and temperatures forecast over 100 degrees will allow vegetation to lose moisture at a high rate and rebound back to being critically dry."
Hewitt Fire Department Capt. Eric White said his department is on alert.
"Yes, we have been monitoring the situation. We've had a few small fires along the highway, nothing major," White said. "The biggest concern, of course, is when a structure is threatened, and high winds."
Kanclerz said shifting breezes, low humidity and extreme temperatures can wreak havoc, quickly converting dry vegetation to fire fuel.
Wildfires also may resist firefighters' suppression efforts.
"Critically dry fuel beds are more receptive to wildland fire ignitions," Kanclerz said. "The potential for large or significant fires may increase Sunday as winds are forecast to increase near 15 mph west of the Interstate 35 corridor."
Kanclerz said fires nationally have put a strain on resources, prompting the National Multi Agency Coordinating Group to the raise the National Preparedness Level to 5, which is the highest ranking.
Texas currently is at Level 4, meaning increased wildfire activity statewide.
"Over the past week, state and local resources have responded to 90 fires that have burned 7,619 acres. These include many large, multi-day fires such as the still-smoldering Comanche Creek fire in Blanco County," said Kanclerz in his release. "That fire has now burned 406 acres and is 95% contained."
Waco firefighters Friday responded to grass fire in the Steinbeck Bend area that started after an car accident sparked a blaze.
Waco firefighters respond Friday afternoon to a grass fire that started with an auto accident on Steinbeck Bend Road near Lake Shore Drive. State fire officials warn that wildfire danger is elevated this weekend.
A burn ban remains effective in McLennan County.
White, in Hewitt, said professional departments such as Hewitt's stand ready to assist local volunteer fire departments, especially in challenging conditions. The volunteers, said White, willingly return the favor.
Waco remains 8 inches above normal in rainfall for the year, but moisture in August has been nearly non-existent, said the NWS' Prater.
Statistically speaking, the Waco area averages 1.79 inches of rain in August. Prater said Waco on Friday stood 1.78 inches below that norm.
Little wonder McLennan County commissioners recently increased by $1,000, to $6,500, the county's annual allocation to each of the more than 20 volunteer fire departments operating within the county.
The bump went into effect almost immediately, as local volunteers have been prevented from holding fundraisers during the pandemic.
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August 29, 2020 at 07:00AM
https://wacotrib.com/news/local/fire-officials-lingering-dry-heat-poses-fire-danger-along-i-35/article_39e3936c-e97b-11ea-98c2-d7a96b3f1be5.html
Fire officials: Lingering dry heat poses fire danger along I-35 - Waco Tribune-Herald
https://news.google.com/search?q=dry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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