Last week, multiple wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas broke out, impacting several infrastructure sectors and prompting evacuations. The eruption of the fires outside of the traditional wildfire season underscores the increasing risk of wildfires in a changing climate.  

One of the fires, Smokehouse Creek Fire, is the largest wildfire in Texas history. As of March 5, the fire has burned 1,059,570 acres and destroyed at least 126 structures. The fire is 37% contained and yesterday’s cold front moderated burning conditions, allowing fire crews to make good progress in halting the spread. As of March 5, the fires have caused at least three fatalities. Today, one firefighter chief tragically died from injuries sustained while in the line of duty. Due to the fire’s spread, the Pantex Nuclear Weapons Plant in Amarillo, Texas evacuated all nonessential personnel. In addition, the Smokehouse Creek Fire and other wildfires caused impacts to the Defense Industrial Base, Government Facilities, Healthcare and Public Health, and Transportation Systems infrastructure sectors, according to CISA. The Governor of Texas declared a state of emergency, issuing a disaster declaration for 60 counties due to the multiple wildfires. The other wildfires in Texas, as of March 5, include the Windy Deuce Fire, the Grape Vine Creek Fire, and the Magenta Fire.

The eruption of the wildfires outside the traditional fire season, although not atypical for Texas, underscores the growing risk of climate change-fueled extreme weather. Climate change likely made conditions more favorable for the fires to spark. “If climate change had a role, it was in the fire weather itself, having record-setting temperatures on Monday combined with low humidity and then strong winds on Tuesday and low humidity,” Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon said. One study found that climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up 30% by the end of 2050. Access a FEMA daily report below, or read more at InciWeb, AP, the Washington Post, or the Texas Tribune.

Water and wastewater utilities are encouraged to review the EPA’s Wildfire Conditions & Risk Map for Water Utilities, which provides information on current, past, and potential future wildfire conditions in the U.S. for utilities to assess the potential threat of wildfires to  their facilities or within their watersheds.