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<br />. Weather. Of all the factors influencing wildfire behavior, weather is the most variable.
<br />Extreme weather leads to extreme events, and it is often a moderation of the weather I
<br />that marks the end of a wildfire's growth and the beginning of successful containment.
<br />High temperatures and low humidity can produce very vigorous fire activity. The
<br />cooling and higher humidity brought by sunset can dramatically quiet fire behavior.
<br />The rate of spread of a fire varies directly with wind velocity. Winds may play a
<br />dominant role in directing the course of a fire.
<br />
<br />The Hays County Mitigation Planning Committee classified wildfire as "major" in severity and
<br />"highly likely" in frequency. Wildfire is often associated with drought conditions and
<br />considered to one of the cascading effects when droughts creates dangerously dry conditions
<br />resulting in wildfires often initiated by lightning stonns, HAZMA T incidents, and
<br />transportation accidents.
<br />
<br />During periods of drought, dry conditions, high temperature and low humidity set the stage for
<br />wildfires. Wildfires may spread quickly, affecting large areas of Hays County in a short
<br />amount of time. Records from 1950 to the present indicate that Hays County has experienced
<br />extensive wildfire conditions. Most wildfires have been small in size and contained by local
<br />resources. Due to large acreages of undeveloped and rural areas within the county, the Hays
<br />County Mitigation Planning Committee considers "wildfire' as a hazard that is "major" in
<br />severity and" highly likely" in frequency.
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<br />be!:~rpt~~{'r.is~Jor, Wildfire<,Tl1ete ~S:~l s~<rious d~tll:ptoQl~. relate"
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<br />j ~{1li,,!-,.f~"""d"i ;; "!" ~ j' ~""- ,4' ,,,~- "~,~ <,'.,,' ~ /;':;:'>~'_)'':,::? _~l'~,-
<br />~upporiing data" rather than' dbtumeJ?~a~on that 'tlu~re,~. Iio"~re~t::',
<br />c'()rnd9r,as, sboiVn on Figur.es ,g~r(hroughv2.4, identify: opul~te.{r ar:
<br />aQti~'''zones adjacent to ea~b ~poplJl~ted (developed) a~ea"af~"roit$lQ,
<br />Th~ remainder of the CountY is. considered, as rurarwith"'tpp}oxima'tel
<br />mile' and less than 40 structures per square milet~'Thi~:,u~develo
<br />~uin,erabl~ t() wildftre risks and pro~ted by four (4)~~~~ sia~on$ in i!!IJ'~
<br />(expansion to 6 stations is planried) and seven (7) Volunteer Fire DepaitI1l~n, _,
<br />of H.ays County. The City of San Marcos includes 25.3 square miles in land area with a I
<br />population of 41 ,602 (as per 2005 TML Directory) for an average density of 1,644 persons per
<br />square mile. Fires within the City of San Marcos would be considered to be urban structural
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<br />Hays counly, Texas
<br />J\1iligalion Plan
<br />67
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