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Windy, dry conditions make for fire hazard, officials warn

Posted at 7:36 PM, Jan 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-10 23:37:08-05

Fire officials in Central Texas are warning residents to be careful with making any fires because of the dry conditions across the area.

"When we get these winter rains, people think oh we've got rain, it's okay to burn," Harold Pfleiderer, Fire Marshal for the City of West, said. "But the reality is, it's very dry on top and wet underneath so we find ourselves getting stuck in the mud and that delays us being able to extinguish fires."

Four counties in the Central Texas News Now viewing area are under a burn ban as of January 10, 2018. They include: Coryell, Mills, San Saba and Freestone counties.

Pfleiderer said if winds are higher than 23 miles per hour, you should not be burning at all. He advises you also keep the landscaping around your house short and well-kept to protect your home from having a fire spread on to it. 

"Use common sense. Have water out there, have a shovel maybe if you need to get out there and don't leave it unattended," Pfleiderer said.

He added if you use a barrel to burn, make sure there is a screen on it so the embers can't fall on the ground.

For more information on the do's and don'ts of outdoor burning, click here.

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