PHOENIX — Several first responders in Arizona will be heading to Texas to help battle a series of wildfires, it was announced Tuesday.
The Superstition Fire and Medical District in Superstition, the Christopher-Kohls Fire Department in Payson and the Elephant Head Fire Rescue in Amado will send resources to Texas to help with wildfires, the Arizona State Forestry announced.
The resources will be used to “stage for wildfire severity.”
The Superstition Fire and Medical District said in a tweet that Engineers Bill Tavaras and Mike Wolfe and Capts. Ruben Briones and Brian Logsdon left for Abilene, Texas, on Tuesday.
According to the Texas Forest Service, there were about 16 wildfires burning throughout the state as of Tuesday.
“With these conditions, wildfires can spread rapidly, present control issues for firefighters and pose a real threat to public safety,” Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief Mark Stanford said.
“The Southern Plains Wildfire Outbreaks can be extremely dangerous if a wildfire occurs, it is important that you heed any wildfire warnings from local officials.”
Texas officials reported Sunday that 111 wildfires had burned nearly 25,000 acres across the state in the previous week.
State officials reported 19 active wildfires on Monday, with the largest fires concentrated in the state’s panhandle.
Areas in north and west Texas remain under “critical and elevated” fire risks.
According to WDAM, a group of Mississippi firefighters were also sent to Texas this week to help battle the flames.
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