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More than 170 Aggies venture to the West to help with the wildfires

As wildfires burn across 13 states, experts are saying the situation may continue to worsen with coming heat waves and possible lightning strikes.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Wildfires can be caused by humans or by mother nature herself. 

"Even bright sunshine, spontaneous combustion can happen sometimes where the grass is so dry the sunlight just heats it up and causes the fire," KAGS' Meteorologist Bob French said.

It's normal to see wildfires in the West during the summer, but it's abnormal to see this amount of smoke causing numerous states to have air quality advisories.

“There’s one fire in Northern California right now that’s putting smoke out from Northern California across Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming," French said, "That’s where a lot of warnings are in effect right now for air quality.”

The severity of the Western fires has called for the help of Texas A&M.

Currently, 53 Texas am Forest Service personnel are in the Western states helping in various ways to stop the destruction, the majority are firefighters.

“Boots on the ground, working with hand tools and hoses,” Erin O'Connor Program Specialist III for the Texas A&M Forest Service said, “There are engine crews and dozer crews.”

O’Connor said they also sent overhead support personnel, people to take on leadership roles.

“We have individuals that are supporting prevention teams, working as public information officers and we even have some people who are supporting the financial side for instance, we kind of run the gambit here.”

O’Connor said their protocol is for Aggies who leave to work out of state typically are only gone for 14 to 21 days so people are getting the correct work to rest ratio.

“Then they get the most of their time out there,” O’Connor said, “If it takes them a couple of days to drive out there, we’re making sure they don’t just spend three days there.”

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