Dry Season Puts Fort Hood Ranges Manager on Wildfire Alert

Fort Hood, Texas Base Fire officials are preparing for a busy fire season according to Fire Chief Billy Rhoads. More than 160 acres have already burned this year and danger looms for Fort Hood's training ranges.

March already saw two wildfires fueled by dry conditions and low humidity. The first began when the Lone Star tank range at North Fort Hood sparked from a unit firing ordnance. A second fire erupted when a unit was conducting maneuver training using pyrotechnics.

In 2011, more than 7,000 acres burned in impact area. amounts of UXO. To control the potential for wildfires, the Fort Hood Fire Department issues color-coded alerts and trains soldiers to put out small fires on their own.

Code green means there is no significant fire threat and soldiers are free to shoot any munitions. Amber warns things are getting dry. Red is the highest alert and restrictions on munitions training are enacted to include bans on the use incendiary or pyrotechnics.