Grass Fires Sweep Hunt County

Grass and brush fires once again endanger the county as the dry weather continues.

A grass fire started in multiple areas along Farm-to-Market Road 36 last Friday by what witnesses at the scene reported to be a pickup truck dragging a chain that caused sparks on the asphalt roadway.

One of the multiple fires spread from the road right-of-way at 2:16 p.m. and entered a pasture that had tall grass, some brush and trees, but was bordered on three sides by heavy oak and elm woods with thick undergrowth.

If the rapidly spreading grass fire entered the heavily wooded areas, the fire would have to be fought on foot with brooms and handheld water devices. There was also the additional danger of a natural gas pipeline valve control point on nearby Hunt County Road 2514, with dozens of valves to control the flow of compressed natural gas.

The assistance of the Texas Forest Service was requested as well as the mutual aid of the Cash, Union Valley and Caddo Mills volunteer fire departments.

The assembled firefighters cut a barbed wire fence to gain access to the burning pasture. They fought the spreading fire to prevent it from reaching the heavily wooded areas, which would require the assistance of aerial fixed wing and helicopter water tankers.

The firefighters desperately needed water to battle the inferno and the nearest tanker was located in Caddo Mills and was en route to the scene.

There was a Cash Water SUD device that is used to clean out the water pipelines and can be used as a fire hydrant. However, security precautions begun after the 9-11 events in New York and Washington D. C. require water companies to install special water cutoff valves to prevent a possible terrorist attack, including any possibility of introducing a poison into the local water systems.

A special key has been provided to all local fire departments. However, the key issued to Quinlan was not in the smaller trucks used to fight grass fires and there was no time to return for the larger engine with the key.

A passing Cash Water SUD truck was flagged down by the firefighters and the employee activated the cleanout/fire hydrant. The firefighters were then able to reload multiple four-wheel drive grass attack trucks with much higher pressure and volume than a water tanker can supply.

The aggressive firefighters drove through flames that exceeded the height of their trucks and stopped the raging flames before there was a chance to enter the wooded areas. The fire was pronounced to be tapped out with damage to 40 to 60 acres at 2:46 p.m.

Multiple units remained to control hot spots and the mutual aid fire departments were allowed to return to their stations. The Texas Forest Service was ordered to disregard the response order.

The Hunt County fire departments are currently responding to three to six grass fires each day and the effort of manpower and equipment breakdown is causing multiple problems for each and all of the fire departments yet again.

Quinlan Assistant Fire Chief Steve Bowen said, "Please be careful with any form or manner of fire. We have tall grass due to recent rainfall but the tall dry grass and brush can be ignited by just the spark of a dragged chain and a tossed cigarette can be even more dangerous.

"Please use common sense when burning allowed organic material and prepare a closely mowed area around the anticipated controlled burn site," he continued. "Also have a ready source of water available at the site to stop the spread of burning embers."

Bowen said the department also advises against burning any prohibited materials that can cause air pollution.

"The fines are heavy and all fire departments will investigate any report of black smoke. The same precautions apply even after a heavy rain and the high winds that follow a thunderstorm," he said.

"The ground may be saturated but the wind dried out the tall grass and a controlled burn that spreads to the surrounding area can sweep across hundreds of acres. We cannot enter the fields and pastures with even four-wheel drive grass attack trucks and we will have to fight the fires from the roads and protect the area structures and homes from available roads," Bowen said.