SAN ANTONIO — The statewide numbers for wildfires are big and dangerous.
Almost 8,000 acres burned across Texas on Tuesday, as the Texas Forest Service responded to 24 separate wildfires.
Locally, in Atascosa County the Fire Marshal says brush fires have blown up their budget.
Roger Garcia said "I tell you what. We started off with a bang."
Garcia said there are nine volunteer fire departments and one company with paid staff in the county, and virtually all of them have doubled their responses from last year to this year.
"The lack of rain has really been instrumental in the increase in call volume," Garcia said, adding that fires have a wide variety of causes.
"Everything from chains, to blown tires to cigarettes to lawnmowers is at fault, everything that can create a heat source has so far, actually created grass fires in our community," Garcia said.
Sometimes it could be as simple as a blown tire where exposed metal grinding on pavement creates sparks.
Garcia said many fires have been started by motorists who aren't paying careful attention when they pull off paved surfaces.
"You pull too far into grass. It's too tall. It's gets the catalytic or the muffler. It's hot. It catches fire. You don't realize it. You drive off and now we've got a working grass fire," Garcia said, adding he recommends checking the rear view mirror every time.
"If you're going to pull over, pull over in a safe area with low grass. When you leave the area, take a look back in your mirror and make sure nothing is smoking and if there is something smoking dial 911 immediately," Garcia said, adding "Don't try to fight it. You can fight it after you've called us."
Garcia said each department has a budget, but this year, most blew through their funding just three months into the year, so now the volunteers are trying to come up with the resources they need to buy more fuel.
"With the diesel price like it has been our departments have doing boot drives, you name it. They've been doing BBQ plate sales, all kinds of fundraisers wherever and however," Garcia said.
Garcia said he's grateful most Atascosa County residents have been compliant with the current burn ban, but even with the recent sprinkling of rain, it's still too dry to take chances.
With regard to any type of fire, Garcia said "It's like a child, you need to watch it. Or else it will get into something it shouldn't and we get these fires that are neglected and they take off on us and that really puts us in a pickle because those homes are usually within a subdivision or a populated area and then they get the neighbor's house or the neighbor's shed."
Garcia said even though many county residents burn their trash, now is a good time to hold off and dispose of garbage in another manner.
"Don't do it. Do not burn at all. Just wait," Garcia said, adding the solution is simple "Be a good neighbor. That's what it boils down to."
The Texas Forest Service has a website where they share information about current working fires: https://public.tfswildfires.com/
It's also possible to follow the agency on Twitter: @AllHazardsTFS