This past week, more than 180 major wildfires have destroyed
areas of rain-starved Texas, destroying more than 1000 homes and
resulting in several deaths. Members of the Houston Fire
Department are also feeling the impact of the drought
conditions, with more than 100 fires since the beginning of
September, compared to less than 10 during the same time period
last year. Although we are experiencing such a drastic increase
of grass and woodland fires, our firefighters continue to act
with courage, commitment and compassion to ensure that the homes
and lives of Houstonians are protected. Woods and timber areas
are very difficult to obtain access to, and require a large
number of personnel on foot to fight such fires. HFD also
utilizes “Boosters” or ‘grass trucks’, to give us the ability to
reach remote areas. In addition to protecting the citizens of
Houston, the HFD has provided mutual aid to various departments
surrounding the city, responding to at least 8 incidents this
past holiday weekend. Eight members of