ROBERTSON COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Robertson County has implemented an emergency burn ban as volunteer fire departments struggle to contain a surge of wildfires fueled by more than a month without significant rainfall.
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The Franklin Volunteer Fire Department alone has responded to seven different wildfire incidents since the beginning of the year, according to Captain William Lopez.
"Everything is so dry out here, and it makes everything more susceptible to just catching on fire and just taking off," Lopez said.
The dangerous conditions prompted county officials to issue the emergency burn ban, which will remain in effect until further notice.
"I think it's about time that we finally got into emergency burn ban," Lopez said. "It can get out of hand very, very easily, within a matter of minutes."
Many of these fires start when residents become complacent about fire safety, Lopez explained.
"They're like, oh, it's OK. I can step away from it for about 5-10 minutes, come check on it. But you never know, the wind's gonna pick up and it can blow all the embers, it can push the fire away," Lopez said.
The impact extends beyond property damage in Robertson County, where all fire departments rely on volunteers who must leave their jobs and daily responsibilities to respond to emergencies.
"It just takes a lot out of our lives just to go and take off work and whatever we're doing in our daily lives as we are all volunteer here in Robertson County," Lopez said.
Laura Stevens with the Texas A&M Forest Service emphasized that most wildfires are preventable.
"9 out of 10 wildfires are human caused and therefore they are preventable. Texans need to take responsibility for themselves to prevent a wildfire from occurring," Stevens said.
Stevens also stressed the importance of preparation.
"Wildfires can happen at any time, and it's better to be over prepared than underprepared for a wildfire," Stevens said.
Fire officials urge residents to stay vigilant and take simple precautions to protect both their property and their neighbors' homes during these extremely dry conditions.
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