Rain, winter won’t slow record book fire season

By Ann Powers
Editor
PALO PINTO COUNTY –It’s been a long, hot, dry summer and the National Weather Service isn’t predicting a wet winter due to the current La Nina year.
During a La Nina year winter temperatures are warmer than usual in the South and cooler than normal in the North. A perfect breeding ground for drought and wildfires, the likes of which Texas hasn’t seen since 2011 when 31,453 wildfires scorched 4 million acres and destroyed 2,947 homes statewide.
As far as 2022 is shaping up, Texas A&M Forest Service’s Adam Turner said firefighters have been fighting back-to-back blazes making it a record book fire season.
“It’s definitely been a historic year for fires,” Turner said. “Without a doubt the worst fire season we’ve had since 2011. Usually, we have a rotating fire season where different parts of the state burn at different times and this year it’s just been the entire state all year long.”
Even the recent rains won’t do much to quell current drought conditions, dampen the fire season frenzy or end widespread burn bans, according to officials.
Turner said some of the wildfires to hit Palo Pinto County during the current fire season (dating back to December, 2021) include:

The 1148 Fire destroyed five homes and a Possum Kingdom West brush truck evacuated by two firefighters attempting to defend the residences, according to the Possum Kingdom West Side Volunteer Fire Department.
County emergency management officials said fire calls spiked over the summer, even tripling in June from an average of 17 to 55.
The county’s Keet-Byram Drought Index is equally as grim with exceedingly high numbers. A recent log listed the KDBI at 720, meaning severe drought conditions ripe for intense, deep burning blazes.
KDBI ranges from 0 to 800, with 0 representing no moisture depletion and 800 signaling absolutely dry conditions.
“The higher that number gets to 800 means you’re not only in a drought, all the vegetation is dried up,” said Palo Pinto County Fire Chief Gary Lee. “Now it’s just like a tinder box.”
Officials emphasized there are proactive measures residents can take to safeguard themselves and loved ones. Those include being careful with sparks, constructing defensible space around homes and structures, and being prepared for an evacuation on a moment’s notice.
“If you get asked to evacuate know where to go, know what to take with you and be ready,” cautioned Turner. “If a fire breaks out they tend to move quickly.”
For more tips on preventing wildfire, visit  https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/PreventWildfire/. To check county burn bans, go to https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/burnbans/. For the local fire weather forecast, visit https://www.weather.gov/srh/.