Governor Greg Abbott has instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to raise the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) to Level II (Escalated Response) due to a high risk of wildfires in western Texas starting today.
“Texas is taking action to strengthen wildfire preparedness and protection across our great state,” said Governor Abbott. “I have directed the strategic placement of personnel and resources to equip our first responders with the tools they need to act swiftly in high-risk areas to save lives and protect critical infrastructure. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management, our local leaders, and first responders for their efforts to protect Texans from the threat of wildfire.”
The Texas A&M Forest Service reports that much of West Texas and the High Plains will experience elevated to critical fire weather conditions through Thursday, with strong winds, dry fuels, and above-normal temperatures contributing to hazardous travel conditions and difficulties for firefighting crews. The affected area may expand eastward before conditions improve following a cold front later in the week.
Governor Abbott has ordered representatives from several agencies—including the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas Department of State Health Services, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Railroad Commission of Texas, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others—to report to the SOC as part of coordinated emergency response efforts.
Additional state wildfire response resources have also been mobilized. These include more than 500 firefighters and support staff; over 150 pieces of heavy equipment such as bulldozers; more than 25 federally contracted firefighting aircraft; incident management teams; medics with ambulances; helicopters equipped for firefighting; personnel monitoring road conditions; troopers assisting motorists; disaster assessment agents for agricultural needs; power outage monitoring teams; natural gas supply monitors; environmental quality inspectors; information service providers via 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network; technology infrastructure monitors; and education agency representatives tracking school district needs.
These actions build on resources activated by Governor Abbott over the weekend.
Residents are advised to avoid activities that could start fires, make an emergency plan, prepare a kit, and follow official guidance. Wildfire safety tips are available at TexasReady.gov and tfsweb.tamu.edu. General preparedness information can be found at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
Greg Abbott has led the Office of Texas Governor since his election in 2014. Under his leadership, according to the official website, priorities have included job creation, economic growth, education improvement, protection of individual liberties, parental empowerment in schooling decisions, and border security. The office operates statewide from its main location in Austin’s State Insurance Building (source). During Abbott’s tenure, Texas has seen significant employment growth (source), and he was recognized among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024 (source).
