Emergency management coordinator Cole Kirkland advises the community to be cautious of their actions causing fires.
With recent high wind speeds and dry conditions, fires are easily started and can spread quickly.
“We try to reduce any of the exposures or vulnerabilities,” Kirkland said. “Someone dragging chains on their trailer driving down the highway creates sparks, someone throwing a cigarette butt out creates sparks, somebody who is driving on bald tires, sometimes the steel belt will throw a spark, or if they have a blowout, it can cause a spark.”
With gusts up to 60 mph this week, the head of a fire would also move at 60 mph.
“There’s no way to fight a fire that’s moving at 60 mph,” Kirkland said. “Which makes it extremely dangerous because that means the fire can get from the City of Sundown to the City of Levelland in less than 10 minutes.”
Kirkland explained those wanting to have a controlled burn during an active burn ban should contact his office to submit a waiver.
“I’ll go out and do an actual visit and verify that one, there is not tall grass surrounding it, that they have a water source,” Kirkland said. “Then they pick a day that is not going to be windy, it’s not going to be really low humidity or anything like that and then also the substance that they are actually burning.”
The waiver includes following the following variables: -The wind speed must be under 15 mph.
-The burn cannot be near CRP/ grass land, fuel tanks or other combustible materials.
-Assuming foreseen and unseen risks such as liabilities, costs, expenses, claims, damages, accidents, injuries and death.
Trash, Trees and brush are acceptable to burn. Texas Commission of Environmental Quality does not allow the burning of electrical insulations, tires, treated lumber including construction materials and demolition waste, heavy oils or asphalt material and potentially explosive materials or chemicals. Burning these materials pose a safety and health risk to the community.
A common misconception that controlled fires are not allowed during a burn ban can waste taxpayers’ dollars.
Those wanting to have a controlled burn during a burn ban or not, should contact the sheriff’s office and communication center to report the burn.
Kirkland explained that reporting burns keeps the city from wasting resources. “We just want to make everybody aware of it so if they are burning something intentionally, we just need to know so we don’t run on it,” Kirkland said. “Ultimately it is taxpayer’s dollars.”