RETURN OF STORM CHANCES IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST IN A BIT. DOESN’T TAKE A WHOLE LOT.
>> FOR A SMALL FIRE TO BECOME A
MASSIVE FIRE LIKE WE SAW IN
THE PANHANDLE.
>> CONCERN ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY
GROWING AS THREATS FOR
WILDFIRES HERE IN TEXAS
CONTINUE TO THE SMOKEHOUSE
CREEK FIRE. THE PANHANDLE IS
BURNED MORE THAN 1 MILLION
ACRES SINCE FEBRUARY. 26 NOW AS
OF THIS AFTERNOON, IT WAS 87%
CONTAIN. YEAH. BACK HERE IN
SOUTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS FIRE
DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING WITH
COMMUNITIES TO BUILD UP FIRE
PREVENTION EFFORTS BEFORE WE
DIVE DEEPER INTO THE WILDFIRE
SEASON THAT TO THE NIGHT TEAM’S
AVERY EVERETT SHOWS US HOW YOU
CAN GET STARTED IN YOUR OWN
BACKYARD. ONE LESS FIRE RISK.
>> CHARLES LEWIS SAYS IT’S AN
EASY DECISION TO CUT BACK.
THESE TREES ARE KEELEY. STEELE.
IS THIS THE MINDSET? IT COULD
NEVER HAPPEN HERE IN THE
COMPOUND IS NEIGHBORHOOD OUT
ON THE NORTHSIDE TREES AND
BRUSH ARE IN ABUNDANCE. IT’S
SO THICK, BUT THE BEXAR
BULVERDE VOLUNTEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT WARNS THIS IS ALL
FUEL FOR WILDFIRES.
>> IT IS. IT IS. AND IT’S ONLY
GOING TO GET WORSE RIGHT?
>> WITH FIRE CONCERNS. TOP OF
MIND RIGHT NOW ACROSS TEXAS,
RUBEN LOPEZ SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT
IS TAKING ACTION. SO THIS IS
EMPTY NOW, BUT IT USED TO BE
COMPLETELY FILLED WITH FRESH
JUST LIKE THAT. YES, JUST LIKE
THIS. THE DEPARTMENT CUT BACK
HUNDREDS OF SHRUBS WITH
FIREWISE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM
CIBOLO CANYONS. WE’VE TO
NEIGHBORHOODS FULLY. THE
FIREWISE USA PROGRAM GIVES
PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO MINIMIZE
WILDFIRE RISKS IN THEIR OWN
BACKYARDS AND CLEANING UP IS
TOP OF THAT LIST ARE HOPE IN
DOING THIS WAS TO MINIMIZE THE
LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY OR TO THE
HOMEOWNERS AND THESE
PREVENTATIVE EFFORTS PUSHED ALL
ACROSS BEXAR COUNTY.
>> IT JUST GIVES US A LITTLE
BIT OF A AN EDGE TO WHERE WE
CAN START GETTING THOSE ITEMS
READY AND UP TO SPEED.
>> 2 NEIGHBORHOODS IN HELOTES
ARE ALSO FIREWISE COMMUNITIES.
A
LOT ABOUT EDUCATION ON ALL
FRONTS. AND THE HELOTES FIRE
CHIEF SAYS ANYTHING HELPS AS
THE DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO
STAY ON TOP OF THESE EVER
CHANGING SITUATIONS. AND HE
SAYS HIS TEAM IS GEARING UP
FOR AN UNPREDICTABLE SUMMER IN
OUR AREA. WHAT WE HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT OUR SHARE INCLINES AND
WALTER ROCKS.
>> WE KNOW BE WILL DO THAT.
THAT’S WHAT IT’S DESIGNED.
IT. SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER
WAY THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO BE
PROACTIVE. EXACTLY.
>> AS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS
STARTING TO CLEAR OUT, I WISH
WE COULD USE THIS AS A
TEMPLATE, BUT EVEN WITH THESE
TREES CUT BACK, FIREFIGHTERS
SAY WHILE FIRE DANGER WILL
STILL BE HIGH AS LONG AS WE
REMAIN WINDY AND DRY.
>> TAKEN AS A WARNING SIGN AND
BE 10 STEPS AHEAD OF THIS.
>> SO THESE PREVENTION EFFORTS
HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY ARE
HAPPENING WHILE SOME OF THEIR
OWN FIREFIGHTERS ARE ACTUALLY
WORKING TO PUT OUT THAT FIRE UP
IN THE PANHANDLE. THEY’RE
ALREADY VOLUNTEER. FIRE
DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY SENT 3
FIREFIGHTERS AND A TRUCK TO
HELP AND THEY EXPECT THEM TO
RETURN ON THE EARLIEST ON
SUNDAY. BUT STEPHEN, THERE ARE
SO MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE
SAN ANTONIO AND BERNIE THAT
ARE HELPING IN CONSIDERING THAT
THE SMOKEHOUSE CREEK FIRE IS
THE LARGEST FIRE ON RECORD IN
TEXAS. THEY SAY IT’S ALL HANDS
ON DECK AND THEY’RE ALL READY
TO HELP OUT. YEAH. ALL HANDS ON
DECK. EVEN.
>> TAKE PAYING ATTENTION TO
YOUR OWN BACKYARD. RIGHT?
YES. SPEAKING OF THAT, ARE
THERE ANY PLACES HERE THAT THEY
MENTIONED? THEY ARE WORRIED
ABOUT AN HOUR, IMMEDIATE BOTH
OF THOSE AREAS ARE VERY THEY
HAVE A TON OF SURE UP. SO
THERE’S A TON OF GREENERY.
SO THEY BOTH ARE VERY CONCERNED
BECAUSE OF WILDFIRES IN THE
PAST AND HISTORY. AND THAT’S
ALL FUEL.
>> BUT I MEAN, THEY SAY CAN
HAPPEN ANYWHERE ACROSS SAN
ANTONIO, ESPIALLY WHEN GET
INTO THAT HEAVY DROUGHT SEASON.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE REALLY
PUSHING THESE FIREWISE
COMMUNITIES AND MINDSETS ACROSS
SAN ANTONIO HELOTES GREAT FOR
US. THAT WHOLE AREA.
>> THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE THE
HOME. THE BUT EVEN THEN IT’S
GOING TO FIT TO OF WILDFIRE
BREAKS OUT IN SOME OF THOSE
YEAH, THEY’RE PREPARED THAT
HUMVEE. I MEAN, IT WAS A
DONATION THAT THEY BEEN ABLE TO
SORT OF CONVERT AND THEY’RE
ADDING IT TO THEIR EQUIPMENT.
AND THERE’S A REASON THEY SPOKE
WITH YOU TONIGHT, RIGHT?
THEY WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO GET
THAT MESSAGE OUT THERE, RIGHT?
I MEAN, IT STARTS IS JUST
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TRIMMING
YOUR OWN BACKYARD AND IT CAN
HAVE SO MUCH IMPACT IN THE LONG
RUN. I MEAN, THEY WERE JUST
CUTTING ABOUT 10 FEET ACROSS
THAT TRAIL. BUT THEY’RE SAYING