Brush Fires Increasing

NEW CHAPEL HILL — With seasons changing and drier than usual conditions upon us, East Texas is starting to see an increase in brush fires. Kelly Acker with the Chapel Hill Fire Department says for his troops, there are nine brush fires on record for September — and they’ve responded to several already this month. But Acker says you can help keep brush fires to a minimum by following some simple safety tips. He tells KETK that if you’re going to do outdoor burning, stay with the fire. Acker points out that sometimes people go inside for just a minute — only to come back out and see fire everywhere.

Acker says dry weather happens every year around this time to different degrees — but this year we haven’t had a substantial rain in over a month. He adds that one of the best ways to prevent brush fires is to plan your outdoor burning according to the dry and windy weather — something we’ve seen an abundance of. And even though certain counties are not under a burn ban, Acker says it’s best to hold off on outdoor burning until we get some rain. According to Acker, “The good news is, it does look like the winds will be going light this week” — but he says that’s only one factor of many.

In the meantime, fire departments like the Chapel Hill station say they’re doing everything they can to be prepared. One of Chapel Hill’s tools is an animated indicator map. Acker says, “The map is what they call the KBI index. It monitors soil moisture, and it’s a pretty good indication on where you’re gonna have fires that are easily ignited and may be more than what your resources in that area may be able to handle.”