Howard County Volunteer Fire Chief Tommy Sullivan said the number of grass and wild fires are down tremendously compared to this time last year, but said it's entirely too early to start celebrating.

“We've had about 80 less fires for the month of October compared to last year,” said Sullivan. “The moisture we've gotten in the past few months has really helped keep the number of fires down. Last year, around this time  we had a lot of high winds, as well, so Mother Nature has really been good to us. Unfortunately, that winning streak isn't likely to last.

“The rains that have kept our fire counts down so low the past couple of months has also helped a lot of vegetation grow, and once we have our first hard freeze, all of that matter will die, leaving us with an incredibly high fuel supply. I hate to say it, but it looks a lot like November and December are going to be rough months, and we'll certainly see the number of grass and wild fires go up.”

Sullivan said those conditions will most likely last until the end of winter.

“That first cold snap we had back in September killed out most of the ground cover, and it's been dormant since then,” said Sullivan. “We won't see any of that come back until next spring, so we're looking at a pretty long dry season for it. Dead grass and ground cover burns quickly, and those fires move quickly, so it's not hard to see the danger it presents.”

Sullivan said the number of fires in and around Howard County were down across the board in October, but one type of human-caused fire is down tremendously.

“For the longest time, people burning their trash was a major cause of these grass fires. However, we've seen them dwindle considerably,” said Sullivan. “In 2008, we wrote a lot of tickets for those types of fires and it looks like people have gotten the message. When you compare a $5 fee at the landfill to a $1,000 fine, it's not hard to see why.”

Sullivan said some fire causes — including downed electrical lines, lightning and railroad problems — won't go away no matter how hard he and his firefighters work to educate the public, so it's only prudent for local residents to protect themselves and their property.

“One of the most important things they can do is clear at least a 50-feet area around their house. Personally, with the high winds we have out here in West Texas, I suggest a 100-feet circle,” said Sullivan. “Make sure the grass is scalped down as low as you can get it within that area, because fire can move really fast through it.

“Also, if you have trees, it's not necessary to get rid of all of them, just make sure they aren't touching. You don't want the fire to be able to jump from one tree or bush to the next. It's possible to make your property look good and still make it safe.”

As the vegetation along Howard County's roadways continues to dry out, Sullivan said motorists will play a large role in the number of grass fires reported.

“It's common sense, but don't flick your cigarettes out your car window,” said Sullivan. “Also, if you have to pull off the roadway, be aware of what you're driving over. The catalytic converter on your vehicle gets hot enough to ignite most grass and weeds with ease.”

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it