Caution Red Flag

12 years ago

I know most on this site are very careful. I just looked at a site that records our weather conditions here. Over the last half hour the winds have been 40-50 mph with the highest gust at 63 mph from the NW. Has been blowing hard for a few hours now. A light rain also.

The reason for my post is about fire danger. Most around here had became very cautious after last spring and we didn't have any major fires during the summer and early fall. After the rains started falling in October I noticed a few gradually began to let their guard down and more of those cutting up scrap metal had went back to work. And then the blizzard came with the 6-15 inches of snow and guess everyone felt the fire danger was over. Over the last week our fire dept has been called out a couple of times. My BIL wouldn't even allow hunters who had paid to hunt on his property drive out in the fields and pastures to retrieve their kills. He told them before they paid they couldn't. My sister called before noon. She had been on her way to church when my BIL called her. Some coyote hunters who use pu's and dogs was chasing one just NE of their house and started a fire. Fortunately with the NW wind it carried it away from their house. They were trespassing and had never asked for permission to hunt. My BIL allows those on foot calling up coyotes to hunt in certain areas if they ask. But due to the danger he doesn't allow anything where vehicles are required off road. The last I heard they had managed to get it under control and were watching hot spots especially with the high winds. Now this pasture will be prone to blowing the rest of this winter and during early spring even if we get moisture. I received a call from a close friend last evening in the Texas Panhandle who was watching an approaching fire to his property. He said it was started by a person disposing of ashes from a fireplace. The second fire started that way in 2 days in the Panhandle. He said they thought they would be able to control the one headed his way because there were several plowed fields with no vegetation in it's path. I think everyone after being so careful all summer relaxed after the moisture. With the winds we've had the vegetation is very dry again even though the ground is still moist. Dawn and Tim know way more about these type of issues than I do. But I had stated when watching all the fires burning, ect that I hoped no major fires were started. I just saw this week where another man had been charged with reckless endangerment over the use of a grinder cutting metal and a fire that was started. I just hope everyone is cautious and returns to their practices during last summer. There has been an elevated fire danger warning out for at least a day for our area. Guess those responsible never stopped to think about what could result from their actions. Jay

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Comments (4)

Pallida
12 years ago
Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain! Out here on my hill in South Central OK,, the wind is blowing so hard that it is knocking things down, and (the squirrels will LOVE this) it has blown all the sunflower seeds out of the bird feeder and on to the ground. The sky is full of dust, and I don't DARE to take my little red "beetle" out on the road. I couldn't POSSIBLY keep it In the proper lane. I guess, next to ice, I hate wind the most. I feel really sorry for those with soft greenhouses and row covers! According to "Weatherbug", it is supposed to calm down after midnight. Maybe I dozed off and March crept upon me!

Jeanie
elkwc
Original Author
12 years ago
Jeanie,
I have been out moving tumble weeds for an hour. I'm going to run an internet special. You bring the semi and I'll fill it up. LOL. The wind is dieing down here. I should of started an hour earlier. It died while I was trying to move the tumble weeds so they would go on their way. Hopefully we will get a strong SW wind soon and that should move them on east and out of town. Jay
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Pallida
12 years ago
Jay,
No tumbleweeds, but will have to re-hang bird feeders tomorrow and re-fill them. Fortunately, my trash can is full, so won't have to drive to Arkansas to retrieve it. HA. Still blowing here, but hope it dies down soon. Lawsey, lawsey, wonder if we are going to have any real Winter weather this year. I am just a wee anxious as to up-coming Summer!

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Okiedawn OK Zone 7
12 years ago
Jay, I hate to hear there was a fire on your brother-in-law and sister's property, but am glad they didn't lose any structures. It is very unfortunate that they are likely to lose soil to wind erosion in the absence of vegetation to hold it in place.

It was horrible here yesterday, but I got up early and got busy cooking, so already had the food prepared before the fire pagers started going off.

We only had one fire close to us, and it was on the property behind my gardening friend, Fred's, place. As we were on our way there, I was worried about his house, but the wind carried the fire away from his house, so it all worked out. His whole veggie garden plot is freshly plowed, so it would have served as a pretty good firebreak anyway.

The wind was not as bad here as it was further west and northwest. I bet our highest wind gusts were in the upper 30s or lower 40s, but in those winds, fires still can be hard to control. Half of West Texas blew in with the dust storm in late afternoon and that part of it was just awful. We were home by dark, though, so it wasn't nearly as bad of a day as it could have been. Even here in our county, most of the fires were in the northern part of the county and not the southern part where I live. Some VFDs were much busier than we were.

Today I have to go outside and gather up lawn furniture that blew around and birdfeeders that got blown down, etc.

It was our first Red Flag Fire Warning of the year, and I hope it is a long time before we have another.

It is supposed to rain here tomorrow and it if does, that will give us minor fire protection for a few days. Of course, it won't help with dry, dormant vegetation, but with the rain and lots of sunny, warm to hot winter days, we have a lot of green up in the fields already and that helps us a whole lot.

I suppose yesterday's wind, extreme fire danger and dust storm reminds us all of what is coming with the strong spring winds. I sure was glad yesterday that it is so early in the season that I didn't have to worry about the wind beating the living daylights out of a garden full of plants.

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Caution Red Flag

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Pallida

elkwc
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Caution Red Flag

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Pallida

elkwcOriginal Author

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elkwc
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