Texas Continues to Have a Massive Problem With Wild Fires

California isn't the only state with severe wild fires; Texas has had some incredibly bad fires in the last 20 years. On average, Texas ranks in the top 3 states of forest fires, usually at #2. Thousands of houses & acres of land are destroyed leaving countless people & animals lives ruined. Just this week we have seen several wildfires break out in the Texas Panhandle. But there ARE ways to protect you, your family, your house and the land against forest fires.

How many wildfires does Texas get in a year?

While most fires occur in East or Central Texas, in 2023, firefighters from all over the entire state of Texas responded to over 6,500 wildfires; destroying over 204,000 acres of land.

Compared to 2022, this was an improvement...Texas had 12,571 wildfires statewide in 2022. 671,800 acres of land were destroyed. It was so bad, we beat California by being the #1 state with the most forest fires. That still doesn't compare to 2011, the year Texas had seen the most wildfires: 30,896 fires destroying over 3 MILLION acres of land.

And of course, as we've seen this week, wildfires are very much a problem today. The Smokehouse Creak wild fire has been officially made the 2nd largest fire in Texas history.

How to protect yourself against forest fires & wild fires in Texas

The most common causes of wildfires in Texas are usually man made; the most common causes are campfires, arson, machinery & equipment and debris burning. So the best ways to prevent wildfires are:

• Check the weather or drought conditions
• Keep any campgrounds away from flammable materials. Keep it in an open location.
• Douse your campfire unless it's cold; make sure to extinguish any ignition or sparks left behind.
• Never burn debris if it's windy or restricted.

And of course...if you see any fires in the area, contact either the Texas A&M Forest Service, or your local fire department.

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