Low humidity and high temperatures across Texas have turned much of the state into a potential tinderbox, and recent fires have collectively burned through thousands of acres of land.
Firefighters from several surrounding areas have converged in Godley, in Johnson County, to fight a large grass fire known as the Double Back Fire, according to NBC 5 DFW. Grandbury Fire, DCBE-Acton, and Cresson Fire have supplied equipment to assist the Godley Fire Department in battling the blaze.
The Weatherford Fire Department, which sent a team of firefighters to the area, posted photos on social media showing massive flames and plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
Video footage posted on social media shows a C-130 aircraft dropping fire retardant onto the grass.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that as of noon on Wednesday, the Double Back Fire has burned 1,400 acres and is 75% contained.
The Forest Service is currently reporting 10 other active wildfires in the state and a dozen more that have been successfully contained.
The largest of the active wildfires is the Jennings Fire in Zapata County, which has burned 3,000 acres of land. The fire is now 95% contained, according to the Forest Service.
Last week, fire crews from Ponder and Krum battled the Big Sky Fire in Denton County along U.S. Highway 380. More than 70 acres of land were burned before firefighters could get it under control, NBC 5 reported. The flames, fanned by winds, came concerningly close to a subdivision of newly built homes.
On Tuesday, the Denton County Office of Emergency Management posted a message on social media reminding residents to refrain from outdoor burning and welding, throwing cigarette butts outside, and dragging trailer chains along roadways.
“Typically we see this, cars going down the roadway dragging chains, throwing out cigarette butts, so its really important that people service their vehicles, check their tires don’t drag chains,” said Denton County Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian, according to NBC 5. “When the winds pick up and the humidity drops that becomes the biggest challenge that fuels the fire.”
Last week, fire crews in Wise County worked through the night to put out a grassfire in Runaway Bay. Some local neighborhoods were evacuated as a precaution, and approximately 80 acres were burned before the fire was contained, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
Firefighters created a containment line to hold back the flames, and no homes were damaged.
“When it got up to the big houses and stuff, we said if it comes this far, that’s as far as it’s going. We made a stand. And we made a stand here too so these houses wouldn’t get taken,” said Wayne Wall with the Runaway Bay Fire Department, as Fox 4 reported.
