Aww, shucks.

Thanks to Ann Legg for her glowing Letter to the Editor in this week's The Brackett News. And we're all so sorry about the loss of your property, but very grateful that no one was hurt.

This week's paper also has this in its community news:

Kinney County Commissioner's Court voted in a special called meeting on Monday, to extend a burn ban on Kinney County for a 90 day period which excludes exemptions in the previous ban.

What this burn ban basically means is that no one can burn, period, even if they've followed prescribed burn ban procedure. For various reasons, some I understand and some I'm sure I'm entirely unaware of, Kinney County law enforcement has been unable to enforce the burn ban in Kinney County, it's a shame but those guys have a lot on their shoulders. Here's hoping that this burn ban extension will make it easier to enforce the ban and, with any luck, make people realize that now is NOT the time to burn.

It's no wonder why people are so desperate to burn that they will defy burn bans. A burn kills off, or at least damages, a lot of inedible trees and brush. Even without rain a burned field pops back with lush, green grasses in just a week or two. It's so odd to see a lush green field surrounded by fields of dry, dead grasses. Lush green grasses are free food for cattle, goats, sheep, deer, and various other livestock and wildlife. It's expensive to have to buy feed during a drought for all your animals. And we've been in this drought for a long while. But the danger posed by burning during a drought is great. With the gusty winds we have and the super dry conditions, a wildfire can get out of control in a flash. When this happens, homes, livestock, equipment, structures, vehicles, fences, and people maybe in danger. It's a very big risk and not worth what could be lost.

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

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.