HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – Multiple fire agencies fought a 42-acre grass fire in the 15300 block of County Road 2500 Saturday. Firefighters were able to save a barn through their efforts.
This is just one of several similar fires firefighters have been called to in the past week.
The fire started when a vehicle swerved to miss an animal, and according to officials the car left the road, and caught the grass on fire.
After this more recent fire, officials are reminding residents that Henderson County is still under a burn ban and a Local Declaration of Disaster because of the drought.
Agencies involved in this fire included the Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office and fire departments from Payne Springs, Log Cabin, Caney City, Eustace, North 19, and Mabank.
Monday morning Henderson County’s average Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) was 761 with a high in the county of 776, making Henderson County drier than 90 percent of other Texas counties at this time.
A burn ban is suggested when the KBDI is 575. A regular burn ban was initiated in the county on June 21 and then extended on July 19.
The KBDI is maintained by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M Forest Service and is used to determine fire potential.
For anyone that experienced damage from the drought or fires please report it to the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) through the iSTAT damage survey.
Reporting damage through the iSTAT tool is a voluntary activity and is not a substitute for reporting damage to your insurance agency. It does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.