High winds spread flames across county

By Rachael Gleason
Item Correspondent

February 08, 2008 11:50 pm

— Walker County fire officials responded to three separate fires Friday afternoon as dry and windy conditions moved into the area.
The largest fire burned more than 100 acres of land adjacent to Hopewell Road in Crabbs Prairie.
Crabbs Prairie Fire Department Lt. Jeb Newkirk said the fire was originally part of a controlled burn by a private person, but fire officials do not know the identity of that person.
Newkirk said the fire was not caused by a Texas Forest Service controlled burn.
“We were aware of the original fire, but high winds picked it up out of controlled fire lines,” he said.
Newkirk said the Forest Service did a back burn to put the fire out, but it is a long process. Fire officials also dug plow lines to try to stop the fire.
“This will be burning for a while,” he said. “It is going to be smoky for several days.”
According to Huntsville Fire Chief Tom Grisham, the area used to be a pine tree plantation, which makes the fire fuel well.
Grisham said another fire occurred when a man burning brush on Colony Road lost control of a controlled burn.
Grisham said the wind blew the fire into some tires, producing black smoke.
“We were able to get trucks and put it out,” he said, “There was no damage to structure or anything of value.”
Grisham said the man had a burning permit for the brush and called in before the incident.
An additional fire burned approximately three-quarters of an acre near Farm-to-Market Road 1374.
Grisham said the cause is unknown. New Waverly and Willis units responded to the scene.
Fire officials are urging residents to use caution when burning this weekend. Grisham said Walker County is right on the border of several counties already in a red-flag warning.
“This weekend is going to be extremely dry and windy,” he said. “We would hope that nobody would do any outdoor burning.”

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