By TRACI SHURLEY
Fort Worth Star Telegram (Texas)
After four hectic months of destructive and sometimes deadly wildfires, life at the Texas Forest Service office in Granbury is getting back to normal.
Recent rainfalls in East and North Central Texas have caused fresh vegetation to sprout, and officials say this “greening up” decreases the chances for the quick-spreading fires that have scorched more than 1 million acres since December. Now, the high danger is shifting to the western and southwestern parts of the state, fire experts say.
So, late last week, the forest service moved its incident command post for the western two-thirds of the state from Granbury to Midland County.
The forest service office in Granbury, which usually has six employees, had been the fire command post since Nov. 28, at one point serving as home base for 225 people, said Traci Weaver, a spokeswoman for the forest service.
“It’s just unusual for the fire season to go on this long, and it’s very unusual in Texas to have the kind of losses we’ve had this year,” she said.
Earlier this month, about 840,000 acres in the Panhandle burned in three days, killing 11 people and thousands of livestock, and destroying numerous structures. Since November, 15 deaths have been blamed on wildfires and more than 400 homes have been lost, Weaver said.
“This far surpasses anything we’ve had before,” she said.
Firefighters from land management agencies in 46 states, Canada and Puerto Rico worked out of the Granbury office over the past few months, Weaver said. Forest service estimates show that the state has spent more than $1 million to house and feed those crews.
Dry conditions were blamed in large part for the intense wildfire season. According to the region’s official precipitation records, logged at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the area ended 2005 nearly 16 inches below normal rainfall. Since then, rain has fallen more regularly around Tarrant County.
As of Saturday, the Metroplex was 3.91 inches above normal rainfall for the year. By comparison, Amarillo is 0.43 inches below normal, and San Angelo is 0.89 inches behind for the year.
IN THE KNOW
Fire prevention
State officials say spring yard work is the perfect time to make sure your home is safe from quick-spreading wildfires:
Keep grass mowed.
Prune dead or overhanging branches.
Use driveways, gravel walkways or lawns to create a “fuel break.”
Clearly mark driveway and access roads.
Dispose of cuttings and yard debris promptly.
Don’t store combustible material under decks or elevated porches.
Make sure trellises are made of nonflammable metal.
SOURCE: www.firewise.org (http://www.firewise.org)