Brush fire destroys several acres in Tarrant County
RENDON, Texas - A brush fire tore across a few acres near Rendon in southern Tarrant County on Friday.
The wind quickly fanned the flames across dry land. The fire marshal says it might have been a controlled burn in the area that got out of control.
The fire wasn't huge, but it did not take much to get out of control. Fire officials are warning people to be careful.
On a hot Texas summer day, firefighters from several agencies worked to douse embers and choke off the fire from kicking up again. When firefighters first got there, it was burning strong.
Everman PD launched their drone for an aerial look. The heavily wooded area provided lots of fresh fuel for the fire in the increasingly dry conditions.
The fire came right to the edge of Bob Buie's property.
“Thank God the wind changed,” the homeowner said. “I hate to say it, but it went another direction instead of coming toward my place.”
The fire ultimately burned three to four acres. It damaged a shed but didn't reach any homes.
Tarrant County Deputy Fire Marshal Keith Ebel says it doesn’t take much for a fire to get out of control in these conditions.
“It’s dangerous now. It’s only going to get worse,” he said. “The combination of the dry and the wind, and it's only going to get worse.”
Critical dry fire conditions have started to develop in the last couple weeks.
Wise and Parker counties already have burn bans in effect. Tarrant county fire officials will ask commissioners on Tuesday to enact a ban there. But even before that, firefighters are urging people to be smart ahead of a holiday weekend.
“Don’t burn. Just don’t burn anything. If you're going to barbeque or smoke, use your smoker,” Ebel advised. “But look what's around it. Put it on a non-combustible surface like concrete or asphalt.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Officials says it's also important to be wary of fireworks laws and are encouraging people to go watch fireworks at shows. if at all possible, where the professionals handle it.