TEXAS — Texas A&M Forest Service, the state’s lead agency for wildfire response, on Monday raised the state’s preparedness level to Level 4, the second-highest level.

The agency said that over the past seven days, it has responded to 80 wildfires, burning 8,521 acres. Forty-one of them have occurred since Friday.

The forecast for this week calls for more triple-digit temperatures with few chances for rain. Much of Texas is in drought conditions.

Preparedness levels concern planning assumptions and actions. They’re determined by weather conditions, current and expected wildfire activity, regional preparedness levels and available fire suppression resources.

Level 4 indicates a high number of wildfires, including large fires and fires that are difficult to control reported daily across the state. It also indicates the environment will be conducive to more wildfires and tax the state’s resources for long durations.

Level 4 calls for continued mobilization of interagency resources, and the activation of incident management teams may occur.

As always, you are urged not to discard smoking materials outdoors or drag anything from your vehicle.