FLOUR BLUFF, Texas — A brush fire that erupted along Park Road 22 near the Padre Island National Seashore this morning was triggered by downed power lines, an official said.
Nueces County Emergency Services District #2 Fire Chief Dale Scott said they received report of the fire at 11:43 a.m. After responding within ten minutes alongside the Corpus Christi Fire Department, they soon realized this fire would take longer to extinguish.
“...there were several downed power lines that were still energized,“ Scott said, adding that they had to contact AEP. “I don’t know if it was a combination of the wind we’ve been having, and then the cold temperatures, but something caused the line to fail.”
In other areas within Flour Bluff, Scott said fires are continuing to come up.
“Last night we had a fire in a homeless camp about the 1600 block of Waldron Road — they were using a fire to try to keep warm,” Scott said. “It was fairly simple, it was just pretty heavy brush.”
Scott said he hopes instances like these serve as a reminder for the public to be careful when around tall grass.
“There’s no outdoor burning right now. We’re under a burn ban,” he said. “Just be mindful if you’re cooking or parking a car near high grass or mowing with a mower in high grass — they can spark grass fires as well in the drought conditions that we’re in.”
