Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 & 2 responded to 473 emergency calls in July, setting a new monthly record for the district. The milestone comes as extreme heat and elevated fire danger grip unincorporated areas adjacent to Flower Mound and Highland Village.

The district, which provides fire, EMS and rescue services across 62 square miles, posted the figures Tuesday, Aug. 18. July's total represented 113 more calls than June, when crews handled 360, and 124 more than July 2025.

That's a 31% jump in a single month.

The previous record was set in December 2025, which the district called "the busiest month in the history of our fire department" in a January post. July surpassed it.

Heat and fire context

The record lands against a backdrop residents can feel. The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Denton County on Tuesday, Aug. 18, forecasting air temperatures up to 108 degrees. As we reported Aug. 17, the warning covers Flower Mound and Highland Village through Wednesday evening.

Denton County also issued a Red Flag Warning on Aug. 12, prohibiting all outdoor burning until further notice due to lack of rain and dry conditions. Fire activity has already ticked up: Flower Mound firefighters responded to a house fire on Valley View Lane on Thursday, Aug. 13, and the ESD battled a grass fire near the 76-mile marker of I-35W at FM 407 in Argyle on Friday, Aug. 14.

West Nile virus response added to the summer workload countywide. Denton County had confirmed 25 positive mosquito traps as of July 16 and conducted five rounds of overnight ground fogging in unincorporated areas south of Argyle through July 22.

What's not yet known

The district's post did not break down how many of July's 473 calls were medical or EMS runs versus fire or rescue responses. No ESD official has commented publicly on whether the surge is straining staffing or equipment.

The ESD board's next scheduled meeting is a Regular Meeting and Public Hearing on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at Station 511, 511 Gibbons South, Argyle. The July call data and any resource discussion could appear on that agenda.

Residents who witness an emergency should call 911. The ESD's social media account is not monitored around the clock.