Texas is on pace to experience its worst year for wildfires since 2011,reports The Austin American-Statesman.
According to Texas A&M Forest Service data, weather conditions this year have resulted in nearly 900 wildfires statewide since the beginning of 2018.
Experts say the fires are the result of excessive heat combined with more people living near wildlands. Drought has also been a major problem for the Lone Star State, resulting in increased fire danger.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost 80 percent of Texas was experiencing drought conditions as of Aug. 7, with nearly 20 percent of the state suffering under extreme or exceptional drought. The state still has a long way to go to reach 2011’s fire record, however. In that year, Texas saw a whopping 3,276 fires.