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Any tool available is welcome for firefighting

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  • Sonny Long •
  • Originally published February 1, 2009 at 4:18 p.m., updated February 1, 2009 at 4:18 p.m.

Wildfire does not discriminate.

Rich or poor, ill or healthy, sinner or saint, it will devour you and all you own if you are unlucky enough to be in its path.

That's why every tool we can develop to anticipate fire, predict from what direction it will strike and where its path will take it, is invaluable to us in this time of high danger.

One such weapon newly developed in this fight is the specialized weather forecast, in which meteorologists at the National Weather Service will provide detailed fire weather forecasts, twice daily, beginning March 20.

The current drought, combined with high winds and varying humidity, can turn a single, carelessly tossed cigarette into an inferno in minutes.

The airborne sparks from a burning trash receptacle can easily cost enormous property damage - and even human lives.

"Anything that can help us anticipate severe fire or aid us in combating a wildfire would be a very welcome and useful tool," Victoria Fire Chief Vance Riley told Advocate reporter David Tewes.

Not only will the Weather Service provide custom fire weather forecasts for those in the business of fighting fire, but the information can be very valuable for people such as those who need weather information before beginning controlled burns in fields.

And the Texas Division of Emergency Management already uses this information in combating wildfires.

This is a good, proactive step toward more effective battles against wildfires.

They hit us by surprise, and now we have a new weapon with which to knock them down.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.


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