With reinforcements, area crews battled back hundreds of acres of a wildland blaze recently outside of Briggs, off FM 2657, in far northeast Burnet County.
What was first called Lonesome Pine Fire was then renamed Cedar Gulch Fire.
The grass fire started Feb. 21 in a rural area and spread quickly under dry conditions, officials say. By Feb. 23, it had grown from 50 acres to 250 acres but was reported to be about 90% contained.
Due to the assistance the Texas A&M Forest Service, Northeast Burnet County Fire Rescue and area fire crews were able to prevent destruction of life and minimize property damage.
The Forest Service dispatched the Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) to bring in fire crews from all over the state.
On Feb. 25 officials with Northeast Burnet County Fire/Rescue sent out a statement about the blaze and to ask residents to take precautions.
“Approximately 90% of all wildfires in Texas are caused by human activities. These fires are primarily ignited by careless debris burning, sparks from welding and grinding equipment, unattended outdoor cooking, improperly discarded cigarettes, equipment such as mowers and tractors, and vehicle exhaust systems,” Northeast Burnet County Fire Rescue wrote on their social media page. “These incidents are preventable.
“Remember a burn pile from two months ago can still be hot below the surface, adding anything could result in a re-ignition, mowing in dry grass can spark a fire, welding, cutting or grinding should be avoided and should be done only with a fire watch ready to extinguish any fire that may happen,” officials wrote. “Please be careful during high fire danger times. We all can can prevent wildland fires.”
As of Feb. 25, a Red Flag Warning was issued for the Hill Country, Southern Edwards Plateau and Rio Grande Plains due to “breezy northerly winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph and humidity values as low as 13% will produce critical fire conditions across the area,” according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
“Avoid open flames, keep vehicles off dry grass, use grills on pavement, properly discard cigarettes and remember to obey burn bans,” the statement continued.
In February, along with the Cedar Gulch blaze, crews battled grass fires including a 75-acre fire that was difficult to contain due to gusty conditions. Since early and mid February, municipalities including Marble Falls, Granite Shoals and Highland Haven all issued bans on burn permits for inside those city limits.
The fire threat remains high but that may ease by mid-week, according to forecasters.
Burnet County reinforced its ban on outdoor burning at its last meeting due to the wildfire danger. After hearing from County Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio recently, the commissioners court continued the burn ban, citing “recent fire activity.”
“A chance for rain showers is forecast to take shape (today) Wednesday (March 4) as a West Coast trough of low pressure moves from the southern Rockies to the Plains states, dragging a Pacific cold front into West Texas,” LCRA Meteorologist Bob Rose shared in his forecast blog. “In advance of the front, considerable moisture is forecast to spread north from the Gulf, causing the atmosphere to become moist and somewhat unstable.
“A 30-40 percent chance for rain showers and isolated thunderstorms is forecast across the Hill Country and Central Texas regions Wednesday into Thursday,” Rose continued. “Rain amounts are forecast to generally average around a quarter inch or less.
“A somewhat better chance for rain showers and scattered thunderstorms is forecast to develop next weekend when a second and stronger trough of low pressure pushes east out from the Desert Southwest. Rainfall next weekend is expected to be heavier and could result in some totals close to an inch.”
Looking out into the week of March 9, the weather pattern is “forecast to remain unsettled” with the potential for additional periods of rain showers and scattered thunderstorms.
“No significant change in the temperature is forecast over the next couple of weeks. Highs are predicted to remain in the upper 70s to low 80s, with lows mostly in the 50s to low 60s,” Rose stated.
Fire Outlook
“Although dry conditions and above average temperatures look to persist through the weekend, lighter winds Friday should cause fire weather conditions to moderate,” Rose continued.
