Wildfire danger still present
Kempner ranch latest victim; high grass, lack of rain contribute to volatility
By LISA CARNLEY Staff Writer

PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Billy Hammock, an employee of Oakalla Ranch near Kempner -- the site of the latest grass fire -- works to move equipment out of the line of fire. Several hundred acres burned. See related photos, page 8A.

A fire last Friday afternoon in Lampasas County burned several hundred acres, according to County Fire Marshal Gene Harrison, who said the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Due to the thick brush, Harrison said it is hard to get a vehicle into the area, which is hindering the investigation. He said he hopes to make a determination soon.

The fire call came in at around 5:30 p.m. from County Road 4390.

"It was quite a blaze," said Harrison. "Flames were shooting 30 and 40 feet into the air. The high winds were really pushing them."

The fire marshal said Lampasas County Sheriff's Department officials notified residents of CR 3170 that an evacuation could occur as a precaution, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

Fire departments from Kempner, Lampasas, Lometa, Adamsville, Oakalla and Copperas Cove responded, as did a Texas Forest Service truck that brought in a bulldozer to cut a fire break around the affected area.

Kempner VFD officials remained on the scene until 4 a.m., and returned several times the next day to ensure the blaze didn't rekindle.

Harrison reminded county residents that a burn ban remains in effect. "Even if we get good rains this week, we still need that burn ban. There is so much dead grass, and it is so high it is like a tinderbox out there," he added.

Last year's plentiful rains are a different scenario from what the county has seen thus far this year. More than six inches of rain was recorded last year at this time, compared to less than two inches thus far in 2008.

Harrison said the county is in bad shape on its fuel load.

"There's a lot of dead grass and brush that is dormant, and once fire gets to that it just explodes," said the fire official.

"All the rain we had last spring really helped the grass grow, and now we're in trouble. With the present drought conditions, everything is dead and dry."

Harrison said he doesn't anticipate the county judge lifting the burn ban anytime soon. "With only about a half-inch of rain over the past several weeks, it hasn't done a lot of good. It will take some good greening to help, and even then grass on top will remain dead and be a fire danger.

"Even if we got two to three inches of rain, it wouldn't do much good, because as soon as the grass and brush dries out, we will be right back where we are now with the fire potential still there," the fire marshal continued. "All that does is get the ground good and muddy, and makes it hard for vehicles to get in there to reach the fire."

Harrison said residents need to refrain from burning until the ban is rescinded.

There are several exceptions, he noted. It is legal to burn household trash only in a barrel with a screen on top. The fire official, however, urged residents not to leave while trash is burning. It also is legal to cook on a closed barbecue pit, but Harrison stressed caution.

Those who burn illegally can face a number of charges. It is a Class C misdemeanor and can result in fines of up to $500, he said.

Harrison noted that a March 7 fire north of Lometa on CR 2722 was an illegal burn, and the blaze caused more than 100 acres to be charred. The landowner said he believed the fire was out, and then the wind kicked up, he said.

In another incident, the fire marshal said an illegal burn Feb. 17 caused four mobile homes in Kempner on PR 4805 to be destroyed. The landowner was charged with three offenses: burning while a burn ban is on, burning illegal materials (tires, mattresses and other non-household trash) and reckless destruction, as the homeowner's fire caused real property to burn.

"There are a number of charges that can be filed if someone burns illegally," said Harrison. "The best thing to do is to observe the burn ban. If you're not supposed to burn, don't."