Two prescribed burns in Liberty County on Thursday, Feb. 12, quickly spread beyond their intended boundaries, scorching hundreds of acres before firefighters were able to bring them under control.
The fires were reported off CR 2058 in the Hardin-Moss Hill area and off CR 677 and CR 678 in the Dayton area. Both were initiated by landowners as prescribed burns but were fueled by shifting winds and dry surface conditions.
The fire off CR 2058 was initially believed to have burned approximately 20 acres. However, Firefighter Gage Cannaday with Liberty County ESD #7 (Hardin Fire and Rescue) said the updated estimate now stands at 89 acres. The blaze came within a short distance of a home but did not damage any structures.
The larger of the two fires, located in the Dayton area, burned approximately 766 acres, according to Liberty County Fire Marshal Nathan Green.
No injuries were reported in either incident, and no homes or buildings were lost.
Green said both fires were prescribed burns conducted by landowners to remove unwanted or harmful grasses in preparation for planting improved grazing grasses for cattle.
“It makes it easier for them to seed the land and get what they want growing there,” Green explained.
What caused the fires to spread so rapidly was a change in wind direction combined with the condition of the grass.
“With the condition of the dead grass on top of the soil, the fires spread quickly,” Green said. “Luckily neither fire caused major damages, and everyone involved was neighborly about it.”
Green cautioned that prescribed burns can carry significant liability if they get out of control. If a fire damages another person’s property, those responsible for starting it could face criminal charges.
“If someone else’s property is burned, you can be charged with a reckless arson charge. That’s why I recommend people hire a prescribed fire company,” he said.
While prescribed burns do not require a permit in Liberty County, Green strongly recommends that landowners notify the fire marshal’s office or the sheriff’s dispatch center before burning. Doing so can prevent unnecessary emergency responses when calls are reported.
“If we know about it ahead of time, it keeps firefighters from being immediately dispatched, which can be a waste of time and manpower,” he said.
Although conditions appear dry, Green said Liberty County is not currently in a drought and no burn ban is being considered at this time. He noted that a Houston television station has reported for several weeks that the county is in a drought, but according to state standards, that is not accurate.
The state uses the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) to determine drought conditions. Green said Liberty County’s current countywide average is 340.
“You don’t reach drought stage until your numbers are at 600,” Green said. “Seven hundred is considered severe drought and 800 is the maximum number on the scale. Our numbers are expected to go even lower than 340 with the rain that is projected this weekend.”
Still, Green warned that until winter-killed grass is replaced by new spring growth, fire risk will remain elevated. Much of the surface vegetation was damaged during the recent freezing weather associated with Winter Storm Fern, leaving behind dry, combustible grass that can ignite and spread quickly.