Afternoon wildfires have become an almost daily fixture around Amarillo. Most of these fires are caused by a combination of dry grass, low humidity and high winds; a perfect recipe for disaster.
Although the fires have been contained, the threat isn’t over, says Phillip Truitt, a spokesman for the Texas A&M Forest Service. That’s because there’s a larger amount of grass than usual as a result of the wet winter.
“If we don’t mitigate that grass somehow through grazing or prescribed fire, we end up having more fuel for wildfires,” Truitt says.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How a change in land use in the Texas Panhandle is contributing to the increase in fires
– How drones have been complicating firefighting efforts
– Whether the Panhandle can expect more wildfires
Written by Molly Smith.
