This morning's fire.

12:45 a.m. and off goes the radio, "Attention all Brackettville volunteer fire fighters, there is a possible grassfire on 693 and Standard Lane." Or something to that effect. Probably won't fill you in on the details until later today. BVFD returned from the fire around 3:45 a.m.


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There are often fires on Standard Lane as the railraod runs along it and trains frequently spark fires. It was dry and HOT today.

Today's Fire

BVFD rolled with two trucks to a fire reportedly a mile from the Maverick county line on 277. This information proved to be incorrect, the fire was much closer to the border and perhaps even on the other side of it. BVFD was called off the fire, although they were nearly there and maybe already there--not sure on that yet.

Out here in the open country of Brackettville, TX, smoke from the highway can be very deceiving. From the road, it's very hard to guestimate a fire's source.

Today's Fires

As mentioned in the previous post, there was a controlled (not sanctioned) fire in Kinney County today that was done, reportedly, under prescribed burn ban guidelines. But there was a second fire that was very much accidental. A train started it, happens all the time. Sparks from the fire jumped two lane, no shoulder FM 1572 like it wasn't there at all and raged on through the brush. BVFD was able to get it under control and I don't know at this time if any other fire departments were called in.

Current Burn Bans in Texas

Today's fire

It was just west of town on Highway 90. Some folks were just burning trash and the sparks flew and, well, it's DRY here!!!!! Really really dry! And even though there is at least one grass fire a week people keep trying to burn stuff outside.

The fire was put out in short order. Only a guestimated five acres (mas o menos) burned. It could have been much worse. No injuries, no damage.

On the road again

Off they go again, the call just came in. A fire west of town, very different location from last night. Will advise when I know more.

City Council is scheduled to discuss BVFD Tuesday night and there's mention of possible action. If they take the action they've been trying to take for years now, they'll be giving BVFD trucks to the county, in effect, they'd be giving them to the Kinney County EMS.

Here's the deal. KCEMS has been newly dubbed Kinney County Fire & Rescue. Hey, awesome! We could use a better funded fire department in Kinney County. We have to call for help all the time (and often get called for help as well), it would be nice to call for LOCAL help! But, huh? What? The powers that be want to give KCFR our trucks? But... what will we drive? We've got volunteers, we've got equipment, we've got tons of training! And we can't afford new trucks. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water!

Is KCFR staffed well enough to fight fires AND handle EMS calls in Kinney County? We often have eight to ten guys on a fire, and sometimes more. That's a lot of staff for Kinney County to be paying. How many EMS guys do they need on staff at all times? If they staff enough EMS and fire fighters to respond to medical and fire emergencies 24/7..... wow, that's going to cost a fortune!

Are they going to fix the trucks because a county run fire department can't just drive any old piece of junk--only volunteer departments can get away with that. This isn't an opinion, it's the law. Seriously, KCFR goes out in their "new" trucks under the county's flag and they can be fined. Now, let's say they plan to get the trucks up to legal standard before they use them. Then what? The county has to go without fire protection for how long while the repairs are being completed?

And, no, despite what you may have been told KCFR will not be taking volunteers. Well, they shouldn't at any rate because it wouldn't be legal unless they are first fully staffed. And despite what the City of Brackettville continually implies, BVFD is not a city run fire department. It's its own entity, self-governed. A not-for-profit fire department with paid members can also have volunteers. But they must be self-governed. They can't be run by a city or county or by any governmental agency.

Much of this is explained here: http://brackettvillevfd.blogspot.com/2007/11/letter-to-hon-john-s-fritter-jr-from.html

Grass Valley Grass Fire

This fire was located about 15 miles north of Brackettville, TX on Tularosa Road in what is known as Grass Valley Draw. I shot it from just under 15 miles away. The fire was located on the Postell Ranch where yet another somebody decided they could handle a controlled burn despite the very dry conditions and the burn ban. At least there was no wind today. It still took three fire departments to contain this fire. BVFD had two trucks on site, Val Verde County Rural Volunteer Fire Department had two trucks, and Uvalde sent one. More trucks would have arrived if not for the Carta Valley fire which has been burning for a couple of days now and is now spread out over thousands of acres.

The road into the Postell through a car's windshield.

The fire came right up to their home. The lights on the right side of the shot is the house. The light on the left side is the fire. The foreground is blackened by fire, not by nightfall. They managed to keep their home and property from catching fire. Lucky for them they have a well on the property feeding into a large, concrete tank. All the brush trucks that attended the fire were able to fill up their reservoirs without having to drive 15 miles back into Brackettville.

A firefighter on Unit #25 running the pump for the hose.

A Val Verde volunteer firewoman prepping her engine.

Cedar is quite volatile when it catches, this was a fairly small tree sending sparks so high into the air and I shot it from about 250 feet away.

Controlled Burn Out of Control on 674

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I was standing in the kitchen when the call came, "Attention Brackettville Fire Fighters, we have a controlled burn that is OUT OF CONTROL on Cedar Creek Road 4.3 miles off 674." The emphasis is not mine, it's how the dispatcher said it. Fire Fighters and Sheriff's deputies alike are up to here with these "controlled burns." It's just so dangerous.

At the fire station, as the volunteers were gearing up for the fire, two members were preparing to go even as another was trying to find two more volunteers to go in their place. So many fires last week has caused volunteers to miss work they couldn't afford to miss. The guys are still willing to go even if it means loss of income and, possibly, the loss of a job. BVFD members stepped up and the two men were able to return to work, but what's remarkable was that they came to the station without hesitation. They were ready to go. And even as they were leaving they made sure to let the others know to call them if they were needed.

As I was typing this up the Sheriff's department cancelled this call. The landowner reported that his fire was, in fact, under control. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

One heck of a fire

BVFD and Val Verde County Rural Volunteer Fire Department members spent all day on the fire today. They were just now headed back and, bang, BVFD had two tires on one of their trucks blow.

No reported injuries or structure damage. A guesstimated 500 acres burned between yesterday and today and it's quite possible that the fire will spark back up in the next day or so. Let's hope it doesn't!

Cotulla was calling for help from VVCRVFD and BVFD for a raging blaze in their area. BVFD doesn't have the resources to help with a fire like that, unfortunately. Our trucks are in desperate need of maintenance and the City of Brackettville and Kinney County seem unable to help financially.

The Cotulla fire was bad enough that: ...officials closed Interstate 35 through Cotulla at about 3:30 p.m. because blowing smoke from brush and grass fires made driving difficult. Both directions of a four-mile segment were shut down, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Source --http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA013108.EN.BrushFire.7854264d.html

Sunny, Gusty, and Smokey

Today's weather in Brackettville:

Relative Humidity: 8%
Wind: 320° (NW) at 43mph
Gusts: 51mph

Is it any wonder that yesterday evening's grass fire started up again today? Yup, BVFD is out there on the same fire. Will report more when I know more.

Burn Bans don't apply to everyone

This is what can happen when you think you know better than the Texas Forest Service about Burn Bans. The owner of the Kinney County property pictured in this series of photos (just click them to enlarge them) decided late yesterday afternoon to burn a little patch of his land despite the burn ban. His fire got out of control and threatened farms and ranches on every side of his property. It was literally within feet of one of the fire department member's family's property. It was right across the road from a very large and active farm in the county.

In Texas you can have a controlled burn on your property if you will allow the state to help you. It's free! But not during a burn ban. The reason is because it's too dangerous. If this landowner would have had just a little patience he could have had all the help he wanted with his controlled burn with very little risk to his property or that of his neighbors. But, no, like so many farmers and ranchers everywhere he decided he was experienced enough and smart enough to organize his own controlled burn and this is the result.

Instead of burning a tiny sliver of land on his property as he intended, he instead burned at least half or more of his property. No structures were damaged. The land will pop right back up from this fire. Ultimately this fire will be a help to his property. He'll probably have to replace some fencing. But he's very lucky that the Brackettville Volunteer Fire Department was able to come out and get the fire under control before it spread to other properties where it could easily have destroyed crops, homes, structures, vehicles, livestock, or even people.
Burn bans DO apply to everyone and with good reason. Please, if you must burn, just wait until the burn ban is lifted. The state will help you. It's free. And it's oh so much safer.

Above: Just this narrow strip of caliche separated the property with the uncontrolled "controlled" fire and the working ranch next to it. Sparks can cross a caliche road as easy as you please.

Below: This two lane road was the only thing in between a large, local, working farm and the raging grassfire a stone's throw away. Thousands of dollars worth of equipment (just out of shot) were at risk not to mention the property itself.

Lucky for this landowner, Kinney County law enforcement doesn't have the man power to enforce burn bans. This landowner will not be fined unless one of his neighbors chooses to press charges for endangering their property. In any other county with law enforcement that has the time and man (or woman) power, this landowner would have had a hefty fine filed against him. As it stands, there will be no consequences to this landowner for his actions. For this reason many Brackettville residents and Kinney County landowners burn whenever it suits them. Thankfully, they are few. Most people are smart enough to know how dangerous this is. But it only takes one fire on the right day to destroy more than just weeds, brush, and a few thousand feet of mesquite fencing. A dry enough day when the winds are just right and a fire like this will be truly devastating.

Grass Fire

Six BVFD members rolled on a grass fire this evening sometime around 6:30 p.m. The fire was north of town just shy of Leona Ranch. There were no structures involved. The bad part was the wind and the lack of rain. It's plenty dry 'round these parts lately! A cold front is blowing in tonight and it's been very gusty so BVFD had to sit out there on-site until around 9:00 p.m to make sure the fire didn't flare up again. Official report to be added later. Check back for details.