COLLEGE STATION, Texas —
A local fire department explained why wildfires have been occurring so frequently in the Brazos Valley area of Texas.
According to the College Station Fire Department, the city has experienced different types of wildfires.
Stuart Marrs, College Station's fire captain, explained the differences between house fires and wildfires. Mars said firefighters place a high priority on saving people, stating "The first priority is life safety."
"What we want to do is protect the exposures which may be a house, may be a car, may be a property or may be a field that's on fire so we'll work to contain the fires and protect the exposures. Natural breaks like a road, or a river or a creek where it will naturally break and naturally slow down." said Marrs.
According to Mars, the hotter it gets, the more wildfires will spread throughout central Texas. In his opinion, 100 degrees triggered the igniting of those flames. Moreover, he shared that they switched from their 75 pound gear to lighter equipment.
It was reported by Marrs that CS Fire received over a dozen calls related to wildfires within one week.
As firemen respond to multiple fires at the same time, Mars noted that this is why they are grateful for the assistance of multiple agencies.
"It's tough to get enough personnel out there especially with the heat and people need to take a break. They need to break for water, they need a break to fuel their truck." said Mars.
The process is accomplished through the teaching of teamwork as part of wildfire response training. Firemen at College Station Fire Station receive training on how to handle such situations.
Mars just wants to make sure people are aware of the dangers of wildfires in Texas as of right now.