Wildfire season in Texas is technically a year-round concern, but certain times of year bring a heightened risk. During the winter and early spring, dormant vegetation — especially grass cured by freezing temperatures — becomes prime fuel when paired with dry, warm and windy weather.
These freeze-cured grasses hold little moisture, making them highly susceptible to ignition. Once a fire starts in grassland areas, it can spread and cover large areas in a short period, increasing the potential for high-acreage wildfires.
January and February are typically when wildfire activity begins to increase across Texas, as the weather brings dry and breezy cold fronts through the state. When forecasters have a high degree of confidence that critical fire weather conditions are happening or about to happen within the next 24 hours, the local office of the National Weather Service will issue red flag warnings for the day. Based on weather service data for Texas, the statistical peak of the wildfire season comes in March and April when the number of warnings almost double.
Texas wildfires so far this year
So far this year the Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to more than 350 wildfires that burned almost 44,000 acres. Of those, 90 fires had sparked over the past week or so, burning about 5,000 acres…