Heat sparking grass fires around Central Texas Posted On: Saturday, Aug. 2 2008 02:09 AM By Joshua Winata
Killeen Daily Herald

Temperatures in Central Texas are literally blazing hot. They have helped spark a dramatic spike in the number of grass fires throughout the region, according to reports from fire departments in Bell and Coryell counties.

Since January, the Killeen Fire Department has responded to 134 grass fires, already exceeding last year's 12-month total of 104.

The Copperas Cove Fire Department reported that it has almost tripled its statistics from last year with 109 grass fires to date. During 2007's wet, stormy summer season, the CCFD responded to only five grass fires, while this year, the department has battled 43 between May and July alone.

The incidents are not only more numerous but are also significantly larger, CCFD Battalion Chief Steven Spink said.

At least three grass fires in Central Texas have consumed more than 200 acres apiece in the past two months, starting with a blaze on June 4 behind Rein Drive in Killeen that resulted in the evacuation of about 100 homes and more than 1,000 students from Reeces Creek Elementary School.

Early last month, flames scorched 300 acres of property south of Killeen between Featherline, Chaparral and Stagecoach roads, and as recent as two weeks ago, 14 area agencies battled a 400-acre inferno near the Coryell-Lampasas county lines. No injuries were reported from the fires.

Spink and KFD Operations Deputy Chief Steve Buchanan point to the drought conditions as a major factor in the increase in grass fires.

"It's playing a huge role," Buchanan said. "It's extra dry. It's hot, and most of the grass that's catching fire is dead or dormant because of lack of water."

Because of the weather conditions, burn bans have remained in place in Bell and Coryell counties since early July. Drought conditions in Killeen and surrounding areas are listed as "severe."

Bell County has a heat advisory, issued by the National Weather Service, in place until early Monday evening. It warns that the heat index could reach 110 degrees with evening lows not falling below the upper 70s.

The risk of fires is compounded by the abundant rains earlier in the year, which resulted in dense growth, said Andy Andersen, KCEN-TV chief meteorologist.

"Now the rain has stopped, and now all that vegetation has dried up," he said. "You've got a good fuel source, and you've got very high daytime temperatures and dry conditions."

The busy summer season is naturally a higher risk time for grass fires as temperatures soar and people head outdoors, Spink said.

Some grass fires are started accidentally by the sun shining through a discarded bottle or broken glass, but many can be avoided if people use common sense, fire officials said.

The slightest spark from routine activities like cutting hay, welding, burning garbage, lighting fireworks or starting a campfire can ignite a serious situation. Buchanan said the biggest trend he has seen this year is grass fires started by discarded cigarettes.

"You can't just do the same things you did when it was wet," Spink said. "It's things they've done forever and never had a thought about, but now it's so dry that it's causing fires."

Contact Joshua Winata at jpwinata@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7476