GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Volunteer fire departments across the Brazos Valley are battling an unusual surge of grass fires as unseasonably warm January weather creates dangerous wildfire conditions throughout central Texas.
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The Anderson Volunteer Fire Department has been among several departments responding to multiple grass fires recently, with crews working around the clock to contain blazes fueled by what experts call "freeze-cured" grasses that dry rapidly in the sun.
"There was a 48-hour period where we had over 20 calls in Grimes County. And that's, you know, 6, 7 departments all around the county, uh, running all day, all night, uh, for grass fires," said Rob Weeks, Anderson VFD captain.
The combination of warm temperatures, high winds and low humidity has created what fire officials describe as a "perfect storm" for grass fires to ignite and spread rapidly.
"Uh, you get that coupled by some, you know, some winds drying out the grass, and then you get the humidity that's lower," said Jason Katkoski, Navasota fire chief. "And it makes for a perfect storm of, you know, causing the grass fires."
Weeks said current conditions require very little to spark a dangerous blaze.
"Right now it just doesn't take much because there's enough dry fuel on the ground. We really haven't had much rainfall, very high wind, and so it takes very little, you know, in terms of a sparker to start that fire, and then in no time it's 1, 2, 3, 10 acres," Weeks said.
While no burn ban is currently in place in Grimes County, fire officials are urging residents to use extreme caution when burning outdoors.
"We definitely recommend that you notify your local fire department. Uh, the other thing, you know, don't leave it unattended. Stay with it. Uh, if you have a water source, keep it there with you," Weeks said.
Even when residents believe they are taking proper precautions, conditions can deteriorate rapidly.
"You know, folks, uh, think they're doing something at the right time, doing it in a safe way, but it very quickly can get out of control with this much wind," Weeks said.
The Grimes County Commissioners Court could enact a burn ban as soon as their regular meeting on Wednesday.
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