Utah firefighters deployed as drought-plagued Texas braces for wildfire risks
Utah firefighters are once again hitting the road to help fight fires — or, at least potential fires — out of state.
Two Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands task forces composed of local firefighters from across the state gathered Wednesday morning before heading to Texas to combat expected fire risks in the Lone Star State, which has some of the driest conditions in the nation.
Per the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 20% of the state is listed in severe drought or worse, most of which is located in West Texas. Over half the state remains in at least moderate drought, which has spilled over into widespread wildfire threats.
While the National Interagency Fire Center listed no active large fires in Texas in its latest report, Texas A&M Forest Service officials report the state's Wildland Fire Preparedness Level has increased.
Warm weather and strong winds forecast for the region have also created an "extreme" risk for more fires to start, according to the National Weather Service, which issued red flag warnings for most of the state.
Utah's teams will remain in Texas for up to 14 days with the threat of fires high, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Other states are also helping out. For instance, Cap City News reported that teams from Wyoming were also deployed to Texas on Wednesday.
Utah firefighters typically respond to other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
Wednesday's deployment comes two months after state firefighters headed to California, as fires raged in and around Los Angeles. Over 15,000 structures are believed to have burned from the series of fires at the time, with an estimated cost in the billions.
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