Windy conditions increase wildfire threat

Tyler – According to our news partner KETK, windy and dry conditions are creating the perfect conditions for wildfires across East Texas. Although a cold front came in Tuesday night, may be a relief to some, unfortunately it’s only drying out East Texas even more. And the wind has become a big factor when battling wildfires, making containment of fires difficult.

“It moves the fire, and fuels the fire,” said Patrick Dooley, Rusk County Fire Marshal.

Van Zandt County fire crews responded to a fast moving grass fire in Ben Wheeler on Wednesday. The fire scorched 8 acres at a solar panel farm.

“I honestly can’t urge people enough right now to use extreme caution when burning and even to the extent of not burning at all,” said Ryan Cooley, assistant chief at Ben Wheeler Volunteer Fire Department.

KETK’s chief meteorologist Carson Vickroy said the strong winds should die down, but as fall arrives there will be more cold fronts. The cold fronts will dry out vegetation, especially with no rain in the forecast.

“If you have real low dew points during the day and any moisture that may have formed from the dew in the morning, all of that dries out quickly with the wind,” Vickroy said.

In Rusk county, a burn ban was enacted on Tuesday and since then, first responders have responded to six fires all caused by illegal burning.

“Our guys are trying to get in there, trying to get the fire cut off before it gets any bigger and just with the way the weather conditions are. It doesn’t take anything for a small fire to turn into a real large fire,” Dooley said.

Smith county officials said their fire crews have responded to more than 50 illegal burn calls. On Sunday, Harrison county officials contained a 138 acre fire that burned for 3 hours.

“Any time you get that little spark, those fires can spread very quickly, especially with a 10 to 15 mile per hour sustained wind,” Vickroy said.

Even in counties not under burn bans, officials urge residents to not burn whatsoever. If caught burning illegally while under a burn ban it is a class C misdemeanor and a fine up to $500.