West Texas Rangelands
West Texas RangelandsWe hope to provide a variety of information from current news stories, prescribed burning, wildfires, brush control, and cow-calf management!

Future Wildfire Seasons: Hotter, Dryer, and Longer

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A Fire danger index (FDI) is a measure that is used to assess the risk and severity of a fire. It relies on the combination of weather and fuel conditions. These FDI’s have been used to help predict and manage the risk of wildfires. Even with these tools, there is still uncertainty in predicting the likelihood of fire ignition or the potential size the fire can get. 

In the study below, four of the FDI’s were analyzed and had a sensitivity analysis performed on them to determine the most important drivers. The sensitivity analysis determined that daily minimum relative humidity, precipitation, and wind speed were the most important driving factors in future wildfire dangers, including length of a wildfire season. 

The study also included a regional climate model simulation to derive FDI’s for current and future climate conditions. The results from this simulation suggested that an overall increase in fire potential and a prolonged wildfire season is expected in our future Texas climate. Enhanced fire frequency and fire season length is expected to occur in Spring and Summer throughout the Southern Great Plains. 

By 2050, the number of days with wildfire danger in Texas could increase by as many as 40 days per year with high heat and dry periods significantly lengthening the wildfire season. 

For more information and to read the study below, click here –  Earth s Future – 2023 – Yu – Performance of Fire Danger Indices and Their Utility in Predicting Future Wildfire Danger Over!

 

Yu, G., Feng, Y., Wang, J., & Wright, D. B. (2023). Performance of fire danger indices and their utility in predicting future wildfire danger over the conterminous United States. Earth’s Future, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023ef003823

The Wildfire Impacts of the 2017-2018 Precipitation Whiplash Event across the Southern Great Plains

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Above average precipitation during the growing season, spurring on massive amounts of grass growth, followed by significant drought, resulting in an intense wildfire season.  All within a single year. It’s absolute whiplash!  Sound familiar? Researchers recently examined the role of whiplash events where preceding precipitation produce massive fuel for wildfires in a short period of time using 2017-2018 in Texas and Oklahoma as a case study. While studies like these have been done in California, there have been limited studies like this across the Southern Great Plains. This study was the first time that the relationship among precipitation, vegetation, and wildfires have been looked at collectively across the Southern Great Plains! 

[Read more…] about The Wildfire Impacts of the 2017-2018 Precipitation Whiplash Event across the Southern Great Plains

Snow Hill Fire Lessons Learned

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On August 2, 2023, the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service on a grass fire at FM 946 South and Harrell Road. A dominant upper-level ridge of high pressure resided over Texas from the middle of June through early August. These conditions resulted in flash drought conditions, which was only intensified by the well below normal rainfall.

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National Prescribed Fire Resource Mobilization Strategy

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This summer the National Prescribed Fire Resource Mobilization Strategy was released. The plan calls for six prescribed fire implementation teams to be created that will incorporate prescribed fire practitioners and expertise into a management structure.  This concept would support the implementation of prescribed fire at multiple organizational and complex levels. These teams would be tailored to meet specific needs and facilitate multiple projects simultaneously. Each function that supports the implementation of prescribed burning can be scaled up or down at any level, to ensure that logistical, financial, planning, safety, and public information are staffed accordingly. 

 

 

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Intense and Lengthened Fire Weather Conditions – Becoming More Common

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As the peak of summer approaches, drought conditions become alarmingly extended, and extended triple digit heat cripples and crunches native grasses, and convective storms rage dry lightning,  it’s crucial that ranchers equip themselves with the knowledge and tools to combat any extreme conditions, namely summer wildfire season. Fire weather days are a mix of low humidity, strong winds and high temperatures. The number of these days has increased in the lower 48 states in the past 50 years alone.

[Read more…] about Intense and Lengthened Fire Weather Conditions – Becoming More Common

Central Texas Fuels Reduction Grant

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The Central Texas Fuels Reduction Grant has officially opened! This an opportunity for Central Texas Landowners to apply for the SFAM Mechanical Fuels Reduction Grant to help reduce risks posed to their property by wildfire. 

[Read more…] about Central Texas Fuels Reduction Grant

Increase in Wildfires Across the Great Plains

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There have been rapid changes in wildfire patterns and increases in acres burned that have been documented on almost every continent. In Europe, forest fires have increased from 40,000 to more than 95,000 per year. In the United States, over 68,000 wildfires have occurred. With the increase in fires, there has been increasing pressure to identify areas that may experience increases in wildfires in future decades. [Read more…] about Increase in Wildfires Across the Great Plains