Tx A&M Forest Service

Funds Available for Forest Thinning Through Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program

September 6, 2017 College Station, Texas — Texas A&M Forest Service is accepting applications for the 2017 Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Program. Through this cost-share program eligible forest landowners can receive financial and technical assistance related to reducing the threat of future SPB infestations and outbreaks.

Funds provided by USDA Forest Service-Region 8 and Forest Health Protection can assist landowners with conducting first thin operations in overly dense, pulpwood size pine stands in 23 East Texas counties.

Critical Fire Weather Conditions Present Over Western Texas

March 23, 2017 Midland, Texas — Critical fire weather conditions will be present over portions of Western Texas and the Panhandle beginning today and continuing through Friday. 

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued an alert putting western portions of the state in the “elevated”, “critical” and “extreme” categories for wildfire potential.
The areas of concern are Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Fort Stockton and El Paso regions.

Texas, Great Plains Wildfires Spurred by Dry, Windy Conditions

March 7, 2017 AMARILLO, Texas — Multiple wildfires are still burning across the Texas Panhandle following yesterday’s elevated fire conditions across the Southern Plains.

Texas A&M Forest Service responded to three large fires for 325,680 acres.

The Dumas Complex Fire, in Potter County near the city of Amarillo, ignited amid humidity values in the single digits and winds gusting in excess of 50 mph. The fire spread rapidly and threatened hundreds of homes. It is currently an estimated 29,197 acres and 75 percent contained.

Drones Slow Wildfire Response, Ground Firefighting Aircraft

February 25, 2017 COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With the Texas winter wildfire season upon us, officials at Texas A&M Forest Service are responding to an increase in wildfire frequency across the state. Yesterday, two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATS) responding to a wildfire in Erath County were grounded due to the presence of a drone in the wildfire perimeter.

Flying a drone near a wildfire creates a serious safety hazard for firefighters and halts the assistance of any firefighting aircraft.

Critical Fire Weather Conditions Present Over Texas Plains

February 22, 2017 Amarillo, Texas — Critical fire weather conditions will be present over the Texas Plains region Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued an alert putting western portions of the state in the “extreme”, “critical” and “elevated” categories for wildfire potential.

The areas of concern are Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, Fort Stockton, Wichita Falls, San Angelo and El Paso regions.

Central Texas Now Has Airtanker Base to Help Fight Wildfires

February 17, 2017 AUSTIN, Texas — Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp joined State Rep. John Cyrier and officials with the Texas A&M Forest Service on Thursday to unveil the newly established Austin Airtanker Base at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The base is the first, state-funded portable airtanker base in Central Texas and is able to accommodate even the largest of aircraft used to drop fire retardant during wildfires. While it is based in Austin, it is portable in order to move to other parts of the state as needed.

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