Prank could have ended badly for homeowners
By LISA CARNLEY Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY LISA CARNLEY Sparks from fireworks spread to patches of tall grass in several areas at the Lampasas County home of Don and Bonnie Owens.

It could have been really bad, but Don and Bonnie Owens consider themselves lucky that all they ended up with was a busted mailbox and some singed grass.

The Lampasas County residents were the victims of vandals -- again -- who repeatedly have blown up the family's mailbox with firecrackers, most recently on the afternoon of Jan. 4.

But things went one step further than just vandalism this time. Sparks from the burning mailbox caught onto areas of the dry grass, then jumped through a wrought-iron fence and burned two other patches of tall grass.

After their mailbox was destroyed by firecrackers, the Owenses were thankful that the prank, which got out of hand, didn't do as much damage as it could have.

Mrs. Owens is not sure why the fire didn't spread; she just knows they are lucky. "As high as the winds have been lately, I can't believe it didn't spread up to our house."

The homeowner said prior to the incident she retrieved her mail at noon, and nothing was amiss.

The couple found the damage at 5:30 p.m. The vandalism and subsequent fire occurred during the daylight. And the Owenses were not even aware their grass was on fire.

"We were in the back part of the house, and I'm sure eventually we would have known there was a fire, but by then we could have lost so much," she said. "And what if it had spread, and we weren't home?"

Over the past several months, the couple have replaced their mailbox numerous times, including a week's stint where the box was destroyed several days in a row.

"We thought about getting a post office box in town, but why should we have to do that?" Mrs. Owens asked. "We have a right to have our mail delivered to our home, and we shouldn't have to worry about vandals ruining that for us."

Not to mention, she added, it is a federal offense to tamper with a mail container.

And now it is much more serious than just interfering with mail delivery. "Our place could have really suffered," Mrs. Owens said. "I don't know how the fire went out, but I'm sure glad it did. Something or someone was watching out for us."

Lampasas Fire Department officials told the Owenses that the fire likely just burned itself out. That is a miracle, Mrs. Owens said, because of the bone-dry weather and windy conditions of late.

Lampasas County Sheriff's Department officials noted they have dealt with a rash of mailbox destruction on county roads for some time, but they have no leads into who could have been at the Owenses' rural home that afternoon.

Officials believe youths are responsible for the mailbox vandalism but have yet to catch the culprits, said Mrs. Owens.

"We have tall grass on both sides of our house out here," the county resident said. "It's scary to think what could have happened if the fire continued and we weren't home.

"Parents need to be more aware of what their children are doing," Mrs. Owens said. "This is just a total disregard for other people's property. It's senseless, and there's no reason for it."