Multiple hard to contain fires prompt burn bans in Bowie and Miller Counties

Bowie & Miller Counties, Texas/Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) – Burn bans have been issued for Bowie in Miller Counties. The Miller County Judge issued the ban Wednesday, March 20th, while Bowie County’s began Thursday, March 20th. Crews on both sides of the state line have had their hands full lately.

“We had multiple fires throughout both sides of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texas, to the point that we had them in flower beds and flower pots where people had thrown cigarettes. We had several downtown, had a couple on vacant lots here in the downtown area. We went mutual aid to Arkansas on a 20-acre grass fire.” Texarkana, Texas Assistant Fire Chief Chuck Weerts says.

Weather conditions make these fires hard to contain.

“When they’re wind-driven, we’re basically chasing them,” says Assistant Chief Weerts. “We’ll put it out, there’ll be no smoke. You wait 30 minutes, and something heats back up and comes back cause there’s no humidity in the air to help extinguish it.”

To prevent as many from springing up, outdoor burning is forbidden while the ban is in place.

“Even if you think you may be safe burning in your barrel or you’re gonna be out there with your water hose, with the conditions we’re in right now, even we’re having issues extinguishing the fire. It’s resistant to extinguishment,” says Asst. Chief Weerts.

The bans expire after seven days but could be extended if windy and dry conditions continue.
“If we could get the winds to lay down, then that would help us out a whole lot because that would make things more controllable and not as big a safety issue. But that doesn’t mean because we get a little sprinkle of rain that we need to start burning again.”

TTFD has also been rotating TIFMAS crews to the Texas panhandle to assist with wildfires.