As we cross the halfway point of July, wildfire danger continues to increase across the state. On Friday, Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters responded to 15 new wildfires that burned 651 acres. As of Sunday, there were eight active wildfires; the largest was the Nethery Road Fire in Kimble County, involving an estimated 3,500 acres. It has been 70% contained.

The forest service is taking to the air to augment fire suppression efforts on the ground. It has opened the Austin Airtanker Base at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The service has three dozen aircraft mobilized at 17 airports around the state for wildfire response. The Austin Airtanker Base will serve as a reload station for aircraft coming and going to wildfires. It is the only airport in the state set up for what is known as a Very Large Airtanker, or DC-10.

Forest service aircraft can get anywhere in Texas in under one hour. Since being placed in operation in early December, they have flown 4,641 hours and dumped 6.8 million gallons of water and retardant on Texas wildfires.

“This year, we have utilized aviation resources for response in areas experiencing significant wildfire activity,” said Jared Karns, with the forest service. “These aircraft provide support to ground crews and assist in protecting homes as well as other critical infrastructure.”

There are now 212 counties across the state with burn bans — 84% of the total number of Texas counties.