Wildfire Risk is Ramping Up. Are Your Schools Prepared?

High heat, humidity, and drought conditions across much of the state are increasing wildfire risk as Texas heads into fall 2026, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS). In fact, the agency responded to 313 wildfires impacting 121,774 acres in August alone.

TFS notes that 80% of wildfires occur within two miles of a community and humans cause 9 out of 10 wildfires. Consider these steps to help protect staff, students, and district property from wildfire risk.

Assess Your Risk

Wildfires are unpredictable. Understanding your district's vulnerabilities is the first step in reducing risk. Start a simple assessment, similar to how you evaluate other hazards. Ask yourself, “Where could things go wrong?” Your safety and security committee should work with local fire authorities to conduct community and district-specific risk assessments.

Consider factors such as:

• Vegetation
• Surrounding structures
• Construction materials used
• Topography
• Seasonal conditions such as drought, thunderstorms, and wind
• Current wildfire status and activity

Using the assessment results, your safety and security committee can develop a multi-year action plan to prioritize projects and reduce risk at district facilities. Your safety and security committee should also develop a wildfire hazard-specific annex to the emergency operations plan that outlines district vulnerabilities and response procedures.

Your annex should:

• Include the phases of emergency management
• Identify evacuation routes
• Detail mitigation and preparedness strategies

Coordination with local, regional, and state emergency responders is essential to developing plans that prioritize life safety and help protect district property.

Additional resources: Districts can use the Texas School Safety Center Hazard-Specific Annex Template, along with evacuation, shelter-in-place, and reunification planning tools to develop wildfire-specific procedures tailored to local risks.

Minimize Hot Work Risk

Hot work includes activities like welding, cutting, and soldering, which use open flames, sparks, or intense heat. These tasks are essential in school operations and construction activities. However, these activities can increase wildfire risk, particularly when performed outdoors during windy conditions or in dry, heavily vegetated areas.

Sparks and heat from these activities can easily ignite nearby plants and other flammable materials, leading to uncontrolled fires. Understanding how hot work can spark wildfires helps districts take preventive action.

Protect

Once you identify the risk, you can implement controls to mitigate loss:

• Be aware of railroad tracks near schools. Train wheels can spark on tracks and start fires. 
• Create defensible space around facilities using the National Fire Protection Association's zone concept. Proper spacing between shrubs and trees can help prevent flames from spreading.
• Choose fire-resistant plants for landscaping, including high-moisture plants that better withstand heat and slow-growing varieties that can reduce available fuel.
• Keep trees pruned approximately 6 to 10 feet off the ground and remove dead branches. This not only mitigates fire risk but also improves school facility security.
• Mow grassy areas regularly. Grass should never be more than 4 inches tall.
• Remove dead vegetation, fallen leaves, pinecones, tree limbs, and other combustible materials that could fuel a fire.
• Ensure water sources are readily available to address small hot spots when it is safe to do so.

Prevent

There are countless ways a wildfire can start. Here are other actions you and your staff can take to prevent the most common fire starters:

1. Comply with burn bans.
2. Protect safety chains on trailers and service vehicles so they don't drag and create sparks.
3. Secure welding and mechanical areas and agriculture facilities to prevent equipment sparks.
4. Inspect tires regularly to help prevent tire blow outs. Rims can hit pavement and spark. Include buses, administrative and event vehicles, patrol cars, and support services vehicles in your inspections.
5. Secure all tools and equipment that can fall off a truck and cause sparks.
6. Avoid parking in tall, dry grass. Fires could be ignited by catalytic converters, which are attached to vehicle undercarriages and sometimes reach up to 2,000 degrees. This tip is particularly important when designating additional parking areas for school events such as athletic contests and graduations.
7. Before mowing or using string trimmers, remove rocks, metal debris, and other materials that could create sparks.
8. Keep pest control up to date to prevent rodents from chewing through electrical wiring.

Wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies may vary based on location. Collaboration with first responder agencies and local, regional, and state emergency management partners can help districts develop plans that best meet their needs.

This article was originally published in February 2023. It has been updated for comprehensiveness.