TEXAS, USA — Texas A&M Forest Service has raised its Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 3. This comes as a wildfire up in the Texas panhandle known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire has grown to more than 850,000 acres or 1,300 miles.
The fire is quickly growing into one of the largest in state history and is even spreading to parts of Oklahoma. The fire is so big that it is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Smokehouse Creek Fire is only 3% contained.
A level 3 preparedness means the Texas A&M Forest Service is seeing more large and active wildfires which call for more resources. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, with the current weather conditions more wildfires are expected to pop up over the next few weeks.
A breakdown of the five levels and what they signify is found below. The information comes directly from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
- Level 1
- Minimal drought and normal fuel moisture allow local resources to suppress wildfires without issue. Fire activity is minimal.
- Level 2
- Elevated fire danger is observed in some regions of the state. Additional resources may be requested to assist, and aircraft may be staged in the state for a response.
- Level 3
- Wildfire activity is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation, or frequent fire weather events. Texas A&M Forest Service strategically positions personnel, equipment, and aircraft in areas at risk. Additional resources, including those from other regions, agencies, or states, may be necessary.
- Level 4
- A very high volume of wildfires, including large fires and fires that are resistant to control, is reported daily across the state. The fire environment will support increased wildfire activity and a heavy commitment of state and local resources for long durations is likely required. Continued mobilization of interagency resources and the activation of incident management teams may occur.
- Level 5
- The highest level of wildland fire activity and indicates heavy resource commitment to fires locally and across the state. Conditions will support large, complex wildfire incidents across the state.
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