East Texas winter offering 'typical' wildfire risks

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

January 30, 2003 -- With recent grass fires across the area, should outdoor burning be a big concern for East Texans?

Fire Behavior Analyst Brad Smith in Longview said, on Jan. 21, "We are at a Fire Risk Level II. This is a typical winter season where conditions change quickly."

Fire Risk Levels are classified I through IV. The level II risk means low to high fire danger at any weather station in the region, low to moderate fire occurrence (an occasional fire and no control problems), and no term severity in region, according to the Texas Fire Service.

"The grasses are cured and we have dry standing fuel. Conditions change quickly according to what outside conditions are. Basically, if the sun is out and the wind is blowing, the higher the risk. The drier it is, the easier it is for grasses to burn,"Smith explained.

Smith added that once the fire gets out of the grass, and into the "lower fuels such as trees and brush," it doesn't burn, or spread, as fast. The reason is "trees and brush have retained more moisture than the grass."

The fire forecast for the area, according to Smith, fluctuates daily and he sees the same pattern continuing for a while.

For individuals who are burning their garden spots, Smith encourages discing a fire break, burn preferably in the morning hours, and when there in little wind and humidity is high.