Bulverde – Rural communities have seen tremendous population growth. The extreme heat and dry conditions have emergency response teams worried that new residents are unaware of how close they are to a dangerous wildfire.
Seventy-five percent of Texas is under a wildfire disaster declaration under orders by Gov. Greg Abbot. That allows resources, manpower and equipment to be on standby and ready to respond quickly.
In Bexar County and surrounding areas, the KBD index is used to rate fire potential and ranges from zero to 800. It’s currently over 700.
Weston Roca with Bulverde Spring Branch Fire/EMS said the conditions could quickly turn a grassfire into a wildfire disaster.
“The humidity has gotten lower. Wind speeds right now have definitely picked up, and it’s causing more of an issue with fires,” he said.
Roca said that working closely with state and surrounding agencies is crucial to getting a fire under control before it becomes a disaster.
Assistant Chief Daniel Torres is worried about the population growth in the rural areas and the lack of awareness some new residents have about preventing wildfires.
“A lot of people that have recently moved to our area are from the populated inner-city or the city and not a rural setting. So a lot of people do not know what to expect when it comes to wildfires out here,” Torres said. “The edge of your neighborhood is nothing but lots of unburned fuel.”
Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William Thomas said the current conditions are a recipe for disaster.
“Fire is extremely hard to control, especially under these conditions,” he said.