FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION
FIRE DANGER: CURRENT SITUATION
Wildland Fire Preparedness Level: Level 4
Visit the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer for information on active and recently contained wildfires.
Current Situation for Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
*This information will be updated Monday – Friday unless significant wildfire activity occurs.
Yesterday, Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 20 new requests for assistance on wildfires that burned 136 acres across the state.
A moderate potential for significant fires to occur through the second half of next week is forecast for North, Central and East Texas.
As the upper-level ridge begins to move westward, widely scattered thunderstorms could develop over portions of North, Central and East Texas. Any storms that develop may produce outflow winds, resulting in brief but rapid changes in fire behavior for active wildfires. New wildfires cause by lightning ignitions will be possible because of extremely dry fuel across the area.
A pattern change will begin Sunday as the ridge moves off to the west and allows a cold front to enter the state. Chances of rainfall increase along the frontal boundary as it moves through the state, but rainfall will likely be widely scattered leaving many areas dry. Localized improvements in fuel dryness are likely with higher rainfall amounts. Cooler temperatures and slightly higher relative humidity will keep fire weather below elevated thresholds.
Temperatures are forecast to remain below 100 degrees through late week in the post-frontal fire environment. Elevated fire weather conditions are forecast to return over widespread critically to extremely dry fuels in North, Central and East Texas on Wednesday and Thursday. A period of accelerated drying of surface fuels is likely with the dry post-frontal airmass.
A Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory has been reissued for Central and East Texas, and is effective Aug. 14.
There are currently 208 counties with burn bans in place.
Active Wildfires:
- Shelby 3565 Fire, Shelby County – 0.5 acre, 50% contained
- Cumley Fire, Milam County – 4.5 acres, 90% contained
- Thorpe Fire, Howard County – 11 acres, 50% contained
- Shearwood Creek Fire, Jasper County – 3,500 acres, 70% contained
Contained Wildfires (100%):
- Lucky Strike Fire, Bastrop County – 0.3 acre
- Anderson 3576 Fire, Anderson County – 0.6 acre
- Cherokee 3552 Fire, Cherokee County – 0.5 acre
- Nacogdoches 3581 Fire, Nacogdoches County – 4 acres
- Sabine 3575 Fire, Sabine County – 30 acres
- Shelby 3565 Fire, Shelby County – 0.5 acre
- Shelby 3584 Fire, Shelby County – 4.5 acres
- Cass 3568 Fire, Cass County – 4 acres
- Cass 3588 Fire, Cass County – 1 acre
- Marion 3590 Fire, Marion County – 2 acres
- San Jacinto 3569 Fire, San Jacinto County – 5 acres
- Jasper 3586 Fire, Jasper County – 0.4 acre
- Montgomery 3554 Fire, Montgomery County – 3 acres
- Newton 3566 Fire, Newton County – 0.5 acre
- San Jacinto 3584 Fire, San Jacinto County – 3 acres
- Tyler 3572 Fire, Tyler County – 56 acres
- Bear Creek Fire, Collin County – 5 acres
- Moulton Fire, Hunt Creek – 0.5 acre
- Shelby 3540 Fire, Shelby County – 70 acres
- Red River Fire, Clay County – 3 acres
- Harris 3544 Fire, Harris County – 23 acres
Texas Wildfire Data and Information: current and historical wildfire information, statistics and resources.
Texas A&M Forest Service 2023 Wildfire Photos and Videos and 2023 Winter Storm Mara Response Photos.
Texas A&M Forest Service 2022 Wildfire Photos and Videos.