The Tarrant County fire marshal urges caution among construction crews and new homeowners in the booming northwest area of Tarrant County. Hot and dry conditions he says set up the right environment for sparks to turn into grassfires.
Fire Marshal Randy Renois told NBC 5 there have been around a dozen grass fires already this summer, a much higher number than usual this time of year. When the drought index reaches 575, Renois said they're in the "danger zone." Wednesday it was 612. Back on June 17, it was 288.
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WATCH HEREThursday dust devils blew across the landscape the day after a 180-acre grass fire blazed. Planes swooped in and dumped water on the flames to help ground crews contain the fast-moving fire.
"You have no moisture in the ground. You have no moisture in the plant life. A spark can just cause anything to take off," Renois said.
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Tarrant County posts outdoor welding guidelines online. They include no welding within 25 feet of vegetation, making sure the surface area is wetted down, and no welding when the wind is more than 15 mph, among others. Renois hopes crews follow those guidelines in the days ahead.
"You can’t stop it because it’s business. But there are guidelines on how they can safely weld or cut outside and still get done what they need to be done and not start a fire," Renois said.
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County officials ask homeowners to keep their grass short, to keep brush out of their gutters and flower beds, and to keep a hose ready in their front and back yards.
Wednesday's fire was located near the 3200 block of W. Bonds Ranch Road between Eagle Mountain Lake to the west and Hicks Airfield to the east. Planes from the Texas A&M Forest Service helped ground crews contain the fire. No injuries were reported.
A day after the fire, Renois told NBC 5 that welding sparks from utility crews started the fire. It's an ongoing threat as building booms in northwest Tarrant County: A new high school, a stadium, and new homes are being built around the burnt area. County officials asked eight homes to evacuate.
Part of the fire came right up to the doorstep of Wesley Cleveland and his wife. He stayed at home.
"We could've gotten out if we had to. There's other ways out. Once they [firefighters] were here, they had a defensive perimeter. When they had found out I had a sprinkler system around the perimeter, I kicked that on," said Cleveland.
Cleveland said he's not worried about sparks coming from nearby crews starting more fires. Now that a fire raged through the acres in front of his house, it's unlikely another fire comes that way because of the "fire barrier." Plus, he said, in a hot and dry summer, grassfires are part of life in North Texas.
"If somebody flicks a cigarette out at the wrong time ... you're just trusting in the good Lord to take care of you one way or the other," Cleveland said.
