NEWS
Wildfire activity forecasts to increase along, west of I-35 through Monday
COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Wildfire activity is forecast to increase Friday through Monday along and west of I-35 and into South Texas as dormant vegetation dries and becomes receptive to fire ignitions.
An abundance of freeze cured grasses observed in these regions has contributed to recent wildfire activity and will once again be a factor in the increased wildfire potential this weekend. Wildfire potential will be greatest west of I-35 Sunday and Monday around Wichita Falls, Mineral Wells, Lampasas, San Angelo, Midland, Lubbock, Childress and Abilene as temperatures warm into the mid 70’s and low 80’s combined with increased wind speeds over dry, dormant vegetation.
On Tuesday, wildfire activity will be confined to the pre-frontal environment in Southwest Texas as an arctic cold front pushes to the south.
Since Monday, local and state fire resources, including Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters, responded to 91 wildfires that burned 7,312 acres.
The dormant fire season, occurring during winter and spring, is generally characterized by freeze-cured grasses across the landscape and increased wind speeds surrounding dry cold front passages. Peak fire activity during the dormant fire seasons occurs mid-February through mid-April.
“Wildfire activity has increased across the state and is driven by underlying drought and above normal grass production from last year’s growing season,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “We have increased the number of personnel, equipment and aircraft in state to assist with a response as we’re concerned about large areas of the state.”
Texas A&M Forest Service has fully staffed task forces and suppression equipment staged in Victoria, Kingsville, Childress, Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, Burkburnett, Fredericksburg, Smithville, McGregor, San Angelo and Mineral Wells.
Additional agency personnel and overhead, including incident commanders with advanced qualifications, are prepositioned across areas of concern.
Texas A&M Forest Service has increased the number of aviation resources available in state with the addition of six single engine air tankers and 2 type one helicopters. In total, two large airtankers, nine single engine air tankers, two type one helicopters, two type 3 helicopters, two air attack platforms and two aerial supervision modules are staged in state to assist with wildfire response efforts.
“This year, we’ve utilized aviation assets for response in areas with increased wildfire activity,” said Jared Karns, Texas A&M Forest Service Planning and Preparedness Department Head. “There is continued potential for wildfire activity to occur, and we want to be prepared by having aircraft in state, ready to respond.”
Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Division of Emergency Management also worked together to mobilize three additional strike teams via Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) for a total of six teams that will provide wildfire incident support.
Nine out of 10 wildfires in Texas are human caused. Texas A&M Forest Service encourages the public to avoid outdoor activities that cause a spark while warm, dry and windy conditions are present.
For current conditions and wildfire outlook, visit the Texas Fire Potential Outlook https://bit.ly/3kemhbG.
There was a small turnout for the Oct 29 town hall meeting to explain the new emergency transportation plan being offered to residential utility customers in the City of Bowie.
About 25 citizens attended the session at the community center where Will Winters of MASA discussed the plan that will offered to customers and paid for through a $7.75 fee collected on the city utility bill. Every meter is auto enrolled in the plan, but customers can opt out by filling out a form on the city website or at the city finance office.
Customers will have until Nov. 11 as the deadline to opt out before the fee becomes effective on Dec. 1. There also is a process in effective to opt out at a later time. Opting out in the first 90 days qualifies you for a full bill credit refund, but after 90 days, previous fees are non-refundable.
(Top image – Bowie citizens listen to MASA representative Will Winters about details of the program at the city hall MASA meeting Oct. 29.)
Read the full article in your Thursday Bowie News.
The Supertunia Tiara duo debuted in 2025 and in this brief amount of time has become the darling of the landscape. The love and admiration from gardeners across the country including my area of West Georgia and East Alabama has been nothing short of wow.
As much as gardeners treasure their Supertunia Vista Bubblegum petunias, Supertunia Pink Tiara and Blue Tiara are here to say look at me! Oh yes, and both are building a trophy case with awards.
At first, it would seem the Supertunia Tiara Petunias were designed with the artist gardener in mind. While that could be true it is most likely that these petunias are so unique and beautiful that any combination or application you try simply looks ready for canvas.
Read the full Garden Guy column in your Thursday Bowie News.
The Bowie City Council approved a $950,000 project to improve the walking path at Pelham Park on Oct. 27.
Bowie Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Janis Crawley said the upcoming project will repave 26,277 square feet of pathway in concrete, spanning about 0.6 miles in length.
The work covers the trail section northeast of the Blade, curving past the soccer fields and toward the swimming pool.
Another section goes around the pool and sport courts, then back down toward the Blade. The project will also widen the trail section to eight feet and add a new 36-foot bridge.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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