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Officials encourage fire safety in holiday season
By ELLIOTT COCHRAN
With the county in the winter fire season and cold weather on its way, officials are urging Montgomery County residents to take extra precautions to avoid dangerous fires.
During the winter fire season, which lasts from December to March, officials are stressing fire safety practices regarding fireplaces, space heaters and outdoor burning.
John Warner, district forester with the Texas Forest Service, said both extenuating circumstances from Hurricane Ike, which hit Sept. 12, coupled with annual grass fire problems due to climate changes could result in an increase of fires.
“The grasses are drying out due to high winds and when coupled with the mindset of people burning trash, it presents a problem because the fires could take off,” he said. “What we’re looking closely at in Montgomery County are surface fires associated with these dry, dead and winter-cured grasses, but we’re hoping we have a wet, cold winter.”
Southeast Texas will see below-normal rainfall and temperatures slightly above normal during the winter, according to accuweather.com.
November brought 5.62 inches of rain, an increase from the 4.92 inches of rain in November 2007, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain totals for the year also are behind 2007 totals, which amounted to 50.52 inches of rain for the year. There has been 34.73 inches of rain so far this year, with an average of 3.16 inches per month.
“In Montgomery County we’re on par in terms of winds, humidity and grasses, but those grasses are problematic because they hold a low amount of moisture,” said Tom Spencer, coordinator of Predictive Services, a College Station-based group using weather and climate to conduct fire risk assessments and preparedness. “Another factor is the disturbance of vegetation from Hurricane Ike, which could increase the risk of fires. It’s unknown at the moment because we don’t know what exactly was disturbed.”
Officials with several fire departments in the county said there are no current fire advisories, but burning garbage and leaves by residents is problematic, especially in the winter season. Some residents, they said, burn in areas of the county where it is banned – on properties of less than 5 acres or within 300 feet of a neighborhood or subdivision – and can be caught unawares by a fire that quickly spreads out of control.
Burning in prohibited areas in the county is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by mandatory community service and a fine of up to $500.
If residents are going to burn, Warner said, they should be prepared with a garden hose and call 9-1-1 instead of trying to contain the fire themselves.
Cody Elliott, a firefighter with the Grangerland Volunteer Fire Department, said heaters can cause problems when homeowners first turn them on in cold weather.
“We have a lot of problems with heaters sending out dust that looks like smoke,” he said. “We recommend that the homeowners clean their heaters and fireplaces before they use them and either put out the fire or set their heater on low or shut them off when they leave their homes.”
For more information, visit the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s website at www.co.montgomery.tx.us.
During the winter fire season, which lasts from December to March, officials are stressing fire safety practices regarding fireplaces, space heaters and outdoor burning.
John Warner, district forester with the Texas Forest Service, said both extenuating circumstances from Hurricane Ike, which hit Sept. 12, coupled with annual grass fire problems due to climate changes could result in an increase of fires.
“The grasses are drying out due to high winds and when coupled with the mindset of people burning trash, it presents a problem because the fires could take off,” he said. “What we’re looking closely at in Montgomery County are surface fires associated with these dry, dead and winter-cured grasses, but we’re hoping we have a wet, cold winter.”
Southeast Texas will see below-normal rainfall and temperatures slightly above normal during the winter, according to accuweather.com.
November brought 5.62 inches of rain, an increase from the 4.92 inches of rain in November 2007, according to the National Weather Service.
Rain totals for the year also are behind 2007 totals, which amounted to 50.52 inches of rain for the year. There has been 34.73 inches of rain so far this year, with an average of 3.16 inches per month.
“In Montgomery County we’re on par in terms of winds, humidity and grasses, but those grasses are problematic because they hold a low amount of moisture,” said Tom Spencer, coordinator of Predictive Services, a College Station-based group using weather and climate to conduct fire risk assessments and preparedness. “Another factor is the disturbance of vegetation from Hurricane Ike, which could increase the risk of fires. It’s unknown at the moment because we don’t know what exactly was disturbed.”
Officials with several fire departments in the county said there are no current fire advisories, but burning garbage and leaves by residents is problematic, especially in the winter season. Some residents, they said, burn in areas of the county where it is banned – on properties of less than 5 acres or within 300 feet of a neighborhood or subdivision – and can be caught unawares by a fire that quickly spreads out of control.
Burning in prohibited areas in the county is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by mandatory community service and a fine of up to $500.
If residents are going to burn, Warner said, they should be prepared with a garden hose and call 9-1-1 instead of trying to contain the fire themselves.
Cody Elliott, a firefighter with the Grangerland Volunteer Fire Department, said heaters can cause problems when homeowners first turn them on in cold weather.
“We have a lot of problems with heaters sending out dust that looks like smoke,” he said. “We recommend that the homeowners clean their heaters and fireplaces before they use them and either put out the fire or set their heater on low or shut them off when they leave their homes.”
For more information, visit the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s website at www.co.montgomery.tx.us.
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