Texas Wildfire Risk: We're Not Out of the Woods Yet

ABILENE, Texas -

Believe it or not that rain that was so helpful earlier this year actually may hurt us over the next few months.

The rain that fell during the winter and spring months brought out wildflowers, greened up trees, and spurred rapid grass growth.

The saturated ground has also made for a much quieter wildfire season than last year but if we draw from past experience, there's still reason for concern.

Joe Kozlowski, with the Texas Forest Service, says that last year's wildfire season was so bad because of the large amount of rain we saw in 2010.

That created an abundance of fuels that dried out in 2011.

A similar situation is now occurring.

Every day of hot weather and no rainfall increases our wildfire risk.

For homeowners, protection can be found by simply watering the grass around the house and keeping it mowed.

With the upcoming Independence Day holiday, popular traditions should be approached with caution.

Two major hazards are outdoor grilling and fireworks use.

Kozlowski reminds us that you should never leave a grill unattended and stay away from dry vegetation while using fireworks.

If you're hitting the road this summer, don't throw cigarette butts out the window and remember to secure any chains that could come loose while towing a boat or an RV.