NEWS
Forest service warns of elevated fire danger this week in Texas
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The potential for wildfire activity increases this week as cold fronts are forecast to impact the state.
Today, temperatures near 70 degrees, wind speeds over 30 mph and relative humidity values below 20 percent will support wildfire activity in grasses and fine fuels near San Angelo, Abilene, Childress, Lubbock and Midland. Moisture levels in vegetation across these regions should help firefighters keep wildfires relatively small.
By Thursday, post-frontal conditions will become established across the state. Underlying dryness and dormant grasses combined with relative humidity values near 20 percent and northerly winds forecast over 20 mph will support wildfire activity in South Texas near Del Rio, Alice, Kingsville, McAllen and Laredo.
During the dormant fire season, which occurs during winter and spring, freeze-cured grasses across the state and increased wind speeds surrounding dry cold fronts support wildfire activity. The state generally experiences increased wildfire activity mid-February through mid-April during the dormant season.
Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to 38 wildfires for 1,272 acres burned across the state since the beginning of the year.
“As the lead state agency for wildfire response, our analysts and fire managers continuously assess and monitor conditions statewide,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “Even as we engage in response activities to support our partners and local jurisdictions impacted by Winter Storm Mara, we have personnel positioned across areas of concern that are prepared to respond to any new wildfire ignition.”
In addition to wildfire response, Texas A&M Forest Service is tasked with supporting all-hazard emergency response across the state.
Since Jan. 1, 147 Texas A&M Forest Service personnel have responded to all-hazard incidents across Texas, including Winter Storm Mara and the Deer Park/Pasadena tornado.
“The employees of this agency continue to selflessly serve the state of Texas every single day,” said Moorehead. “Whether it is responding to wildfire activity or supporting statewide response to all-hazard incidents, our personnel embody the service mission of the Texas A&M Forest Service.”
For current conditions and wildfire outlook, visit the Texas Fire Potential Outlook https://bit.ly/3kemhbG.
The second community meeting on needs for an emergency room or hospital in Bowie is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Bowie Community Center.
This is the second meeting to discuss these needs following the closure of the Faith Community Health Center emergency room on Oct. 6, just shy of a year of operation. More than 200 people attended that first meeting, where discussion centered on the creation of a taxing district to support any sort of medical facility.
Citizens in the Bowie area are encouraged to attend and take part in these discussions.
The Bowie City Council has moved its Nov. 18 meeting to 6 p.m. on Nov. 19 where three new council members will take the oath of office.
Councilors include Laura Sproles, precinct two, Brandon Walker, precinct one and Laramie Truax, precinct two. After the votes are canvassed and the oaths given, a mayor pro tem will be selected.
The new members will jump right into training as City Attorney Courtney Goodman-Morris provides an orientation and discussion of duties for council members.
City Manager Bert Cunningham will make his monthly report on the following topics: Nelson Street, which opened last Thursday, update on the sewer line replacement project, substation transformer placement and information on medical companies.
A closed executive session on the Laura McCarn vs. City of Bowie lawsuit is scheduled. The suit arose in November 2022 when the city broached selling some 25 acres it owns on Lake Amon G. Carter, originally part of the land purchased for the 500-acre Bowie Reservoir completed in 1985.
McCarn challenges the ownership of the property stating it should revert to the original owners since it was not used for the lake.
This 24.35 acre tract is located at the end of Indian Trail Road surrounded by the lake and the Silver Lakes Ranch subdivision.
One of Bowie’s major thoroughfares, Nelson Street, was reopened Thursday after one busy block has been closed since August 2021 when a section of the street failed.
Construction finally came to an end on Thursday when the street, including the Nelson and Mill intersection were reopened. Mayor Gaylynn Burris, City Manager Bert Cunningham, Councilors TJay McEwen and Stephanie Post, Engineer Mike Tibbetts and Public Works Director Stony Lowrance met at the site Thursday morning and removed the barricades. It only took a few minutes for vehicles to start arriving and drivers were excited to go through on the new roadway.
This section of Bowie has endured flooding and drainage problems for many years and in the summer of 2023 the city council finally bit the bullet and sought bids for the repair work expected to top $3 million. In August 2021 a one block section of Nelson was closed when a large sinkhole appeared on the north side of the street. Traffic had to be diverted including all the school traffic flowing from the nearby junior high and intermediate.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – (Left) Mike Tibbetts, engineer with Hayter Engineering, talks with Bowie City Manager Bert Cunningham as they look over the massive drainage project on Nelson Street.
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