Well we’re getting to that time of year again where the leaves will be turning brown and the the wild grasses start losing some of their moisture and that means an increased chance for wildfires. Now, I generally write about the dangers of wildfires at least twice a year, because, let’s face it, this is Texas and seeing a repeat of what happened in Bastrop a few years back scares the bejeezus out of me.
The speed at which fire can spread when it is fueled by dry conditions and wind is faster than you could actually imagine. In the case of the fire that consumed Bastrop, not only was the fire moving quickly, but it also jumped a waterway that you’d think would have been a great defense. Nope. All it takes is one ember to make it across the river and it will likely continue on its destructive path. Take a look at the video below for proof.
So what can you do? First, you MUST heed all burn warnings and out right bans. A burn ban is just a suggestion, it is law and can likely result in a significant fine. But really, the money that you will be fined is minuscule to the danger that you are putting people, property and livestock in. That burger you are about to throw on top of the grill is going to taste really awful with that side of regret you’ll be eating it with.
If there is no burn ban and you do grill out, or have a campfire you still have to be extremely careful. Please, please, please extinguish your fires when camping with a generous amount of water. If you think you’ve put enough on to flood a small village, put on more. It’s also a VERY WISE idea to keep fire extinguishers at arms reach. You really can never be too safe. Once a fire catches it will be virtually impossible to contain it. At that point you’ll need to call the fire dept. and probably your lawyer, as I suspect you are going to be met with a few lawsuits. If that isn’t enough to scare you into fire prevention, then you probably ought not to be around matches.