PORT ARTHUR, Texas — The Port Arthur Fire Department is in recovery mode after they battled two wildfires in the last week.
In Sabine Pass, flames torched more than 800 acres last weekend. Then, last night a cloud of smoke consumed Highway 73, and the nearly 400 acre fire forced officials to shut down the road completely.
Wildfires seem to be popping up daily. Southeast Texas is in a massive drought, which serves as a catalyst for all the fires.
Statewide, this year has been worse than previous ones. In Southeast Texas, it's bringing back memories of the summer of 2011.
With little to no rain in sight, the area is vulnerable. Southeast Texas is nearly 12 inches below the average rainfall.
"The summer has had, some interesting challenges," said Port Arthur Fire Chief Greg Benson.
The bone dry conditions are creating an active summer for Chief Benson and the Port Arthur Fire Department.
The two fires burned more than 1000 acres combined and the fire Wednesday night came dangerously close to Highway 73.
"It just got to a point where we had to close the road down, because there was so much smoke there," Chief Benson told 12News.
Port Arthur got assistance from the Texas A&M Forest Service to deal with both fires.
"We assist them, by building dozer lines around the black, or wherever the fire is. They are limiting the vegetation between the black and the fire, and what is left unburned," said Matthew Ford from Texas A&M Forest Service.
Chief Benson advises that if you see lots of smoke or smell a fire you should call 911. A fast response can make a huge difference for first responders.
The causes for the two most recent fires are still under investigation according to Chief Benson.