Texas Forest Service Launches Wildfire App

The Texas Forest Service launched a new Internet application designed to offer guidance to residents looking for information on wildland fire risk in their region.

The new app, the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal, or TxWRAP, was unveiled Friday on the steps of the state Capitol, according to an Associated Press report (http://bit.ly/IjlJHR).

Built in conjunction with the Texas A&M University System, it uses mapping technology to allow homeowners and the general public to scrutinize areas up to within a two-mile radius of where they live to spot places where wildfires might erupt.

The app makes its projections are based on factors including drought, wind, humidity and other climate conditions. It also considers an area’s topology, and even things such as shrubs near homes and other buildings that could feed fires.

Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp said the app, “was a first and only of its kind in the world and will save a lot of lives and save a lot of property.” Sharp said he expects the model to be copied by states and municipalities across the United States.

For more information on the app, visit http://www.texaswildfirerisk.com/.

 

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