Counties prep for significant wind event Friday, ask for public's cooperation amid fire warnings

Local and state fire authorities are preparing for several powerful wind events beginning Friday, which will trigger warnings across most of the state. The National Weather Service has designated multiple counties as “extremely critical.”

Johnson County is listed as having “critical” fire risk.

A light breeze of 4.5 miles per hour on Thursday afternoon is nothing compared to the winds expected from sunup to sundown on Friday throughout most of Texas.

“The fire danger is high enough that we’ve implemented a burn ban,” said Jamie Moore, Johnson County’s director of emergency management and fire marshal. “There is no open burn. That includes welding, and open fires of any sort will be banned starting tomorrow for the foreseeable future until our condition changes.”

Friday’s wind event includes very low humidity and wind gusts expected between 50 to 60 miles per hour.

Fields with dry, tall grasses pose a fire danger, Moore said. The grasses grew tall due to the spring 2024 rains, but rain has not yet arrived to alleviate the dryness. The wind packs a one-two punch—blowing away any moisture and pushing the fire, he said.

“It creates a situation where the winds push that fire, and you have a significantly faster fire spread than you would if the wind was calm,” Moore said. “That creates a dangerous situation not only for people’s land but for people’s homes and their lives.”

Moore uses Kestrel anemometers to measure humidity levels and wind gusts.

“If you’re talking about a fire starting in dead and dry grass like right now, it literally will only take a spark, and with the wind gusts we’ll have tomorrow of 55 miles per hour, we’re talking about miles an hour and for a fire. That’s extremely fast,” he said.

Authorities are asking the public to heed warnings, keep fire extinguishers nearby, and do their part to prevent fires.

“Almost all the fires we have, or at least 90%, are usually human-caused,” Moore said. “From welding, people dragging chains when they’re pulling a trailer, tossing a cigarette out. They’re preventable fires, and certainly when we’re in these conditions, we need people to be aware, and we need them to do their part to prevent the fires.”

If possible, refrain from outdoor activities such as mowing your lawn, he said.

“Mowing the grass, even pulling over on a shoulder in high grass, the heat from underneath your car can start a fire,” he said. “Anything that can cause a spark—chainsaws, welding—all of those things. Tomorrow especially, we need the public to be conscious of what they’re doing.”

Heather Gonzales with the Texas A&M Forest Service said crews are being deployed across the state, with the highest danger expected in the western part of Texas.

She said they’re also trying to reach people traveling for spring break.

“Make sure you're not dragging any trailer chains or is dragging,” she said. “Also check tire pressure, make sure they're properly inflated.”

The Texas A&M Forest Service also advises residents, visitors, and travelers to have at least two evacuation routes should a fire spark and grow out of control.

Consider the five P’s, she said.

“That includes people and pet supplies, prescription for everyone in your family, including your pets, paper documents or digital documents,” she said.

It’s also a good idea to secure precious items you consider irreplaceable, she said.

When it comes to protecting your home, Moore advises people to remove any wood or combustibles that may be propped up against their house.

“Now’s the time to pull off the winter cover on your outside water faucet and hook your hose,” he added.

Moore said Johnson County is meeting with neighboring counties to coordinate preparations for the coming days.

“We don’t normally just have wind days, and unfortunately, for this week, we’re going to have multiple ones,” he said. “It’s also Monday and Tuesday as well.”