YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

Wildfire a real danger

By Gene Hall

Ironic, isn’t it?

One of the wettest springs on record in 2015 kept farmers out of the fields. Crops were late. Harvest was hindered. Then, in July, the rains stopped. Completely.

Once soggy ground is now brick hard. Brush and grass grew in abundance in the spring. Now it’s dry. And plentiful. Perfect fuel for wildfires. As many as 55 fires are burning in Texas this week.

Over 4,000 acres burned in Bastrop last week. A vivid reminder of a massive wildfire in 2011 that wiped out hundreds of homes and destroyed thousands of acres of property.

Parts of Texas are a tinderbox. One match. One careless fire. One cigarette thrown from a car window can spark a wildfire, endangering homes, land, livestock and lives.

Plentiful rains are still predicted with the El Niño in the Pacific. Pray that they come. We could sure use a touch of moisture now.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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