ORANGE, Texas — Southeast Texas will be under a moderate fire threat on Friday, August 23 thanks to the dry weather and intense heat.
All of the rain we had at the start of the summer has given way to dry weather. For many, this is a scary reminder of the 2023 devastating wildfires.
First responders in Orange and Jasper County are already battling brush fires.
While there are currently no active burn bans in those counties, leaders are warning people to use extreme caution before starting any fires.
"It's drying out rapidly, these 100 degree days will do that. No substantial rain in the last few weeks," said Beech Grove Fire Chief James Gunter.
Gunter says the conditions that kicked off a devastating year of destructive wildfires in August 2023, are rapidly making a comeback.
"Within a few weeks, with no substantial rainfall, we'll be back in dangerous conditions," he said.
Gunter says according to the Keetch-Byram drought index, much of Southeast Texas is currently in the 600-700 range, which is not far from where it was a year ago.
"By comparison, last summer we were in the mid-750s, high 700s. I looked at a chart a few minutes ago and it's going up 14 points a day right now," Gunter said.
Orange County emergency service districts are also on high alert.
A Facebook post by Orange County ESD 4 says this grass fire was the third in just two days. ESD 4 Fire Chief Kelley Moore says Thursday afternoon, his firefighters fought the fourth for over two hours.
"All of them did endanger structures, this dry no humidity is really starting to pick up here. Just in this last fire, we actually called out for assistance for Little Cypress and Deweyville fire departments," said Moore.
Moore says to not wait for a burn ban to go into effect. Practice caution and stay prepared.
"Number one, I'd ask them not to burn. Start just being cautious about it. If you do burn, make sure it's attended. If it does get out of hand, please call us immediately. Don't wait. I don't want to go through the same thing we did last year," he said.
"It doesn't take much. It can be wet outside and still burn when it's 100 degrees," Gunter said.
While some rain is in the forecast next week, it may not be enough to lower the threat. So the warning is, think before you burn.