Tarrant County authorities issued a disaster declaration on Friday due to the high risk of wildfires as temperatures continue to soar.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley signed the emergency disaster declaration on July 29, citing the threat of large and fast-moving wildfires posed by the “extreme hot and dry conditions” in the region.
The declaration is set to last no more than seven days unless continued or renewed by the Commissioners Court of Tarrant County. It activates the Tarrant County Emergency Management Plan and allows for the distribution of taxpayer-funded aid where needed.
The decision comes after the Texas A&M Forest Service released a statement listing North Texas as one of the state’s regions facing a high risk of significant fires.
Several families lost their homes on Monday, July 25, to a fast-moving grass fire that swept through their neighborhood in Balch Springs. The fire caused more than $6 million in property damage, impacting 27 homes in the area, according to The Dallas Express.
