Fort Worth Fire Department reports rise in grassfire response amid heat wave, drought

As temperatures continue to rise, the Fort Worth Fire Department is asking for residents’ help fighting grass fires.

The department reported Monday that it has experienced a substantial increase in fires this summer compared to the last two years. Between July 5 and Monday, FWFD has responded to 362 grass fires, a 704% increase from the same two-week period in 2021.

The fire department has responded to a total of 607 such fires this summer, with 245 reported between June 1 and July 3.

Last year, there were 129 grass fires between June 1 and July 18.

Residents can help by removing or reducing the amount of brush around homes and businesses, and avoid parking cars, trucks or recreational vehicles on dry grass or shrubs.

The fire department said exhaust systems can reach more than 1,000 degrees and it only takes 500 degrees to start a brush fire in the summer, according to a news release.

“Please pay strict attention to the use of heat and fire outdoors,” the release read. “It only takes one ember from a grill or a cigarette to start a fire in conditions this dry.”

The report said to keep a shovel, bucket of water, fire extinguisher, or other fire suppression tools close when working with heat or fire outdoors.

As FWFD responds to more than 400 calls every day, the release said the “dramatic” rise in grassfire calls will not impede service response times, but rather require additional units to be available.

This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 5:53 PM.