Laredo, TX, Firefighters Win 10-Hour Battle with Vegetation Fire

Mar. 25—As temperatures rise, fires are springing up around the city and county, as Laredo firefighters had a tough job Wednesday night battling one blaze for close to 10 hours on the city's riverbanks.

The fire lasted exactly nine hours and 50 minutes after notice came to the LFD around 5 p.m. It took much of the large fire department equipment and the working of various departments together to put an end to it.

Overall, the fire was extinguished successfully as it harmed no residents. But it proved to be an illustration of how one small flame can lead to something greater affecting a large swath of vegetation and the surrounding areas.

"We received a call about a grass fire on the riverbanks on the city's west side, and upon arrival, the crews found that there were actual grass fires going on, so they started extinguishing the fires and taking care of the perimeter," said Ricardo Oliva Jr., the public information officer for the Laredo Fire Department. "They managed to take control of that aspect really quickly, but what remained were all the spot fires and everything else. Those took the majority of the time, and eventually at 3:46 a.m. (Thursday) morning is when they managed to extinguish in its entirely."

In total, four fire department engines, three tanker trucks, four ambulances, two district chiefs and Public Works were involved in the close to 10-hour battle with the fire. According to Oliva, Public Works provided plenty of help as they assisted with two 8,000 gallon tankers and some lighting for the overnight battle.

The fire never reached the Mexican side, as all of the grass fires were on the American side of the border and never crossed.

"It wasn't close to the train bridge, although, there is a little caliche road in there and it went through there but it didn't affect the bridge or anything like that," Oliva said. "No residences were ever at risk, and there was never a need to evacuate anyone."

No cause has yet been found for the fire, however, Oliva said current red-flag weather conditions could be the reason why the fires started and why it spread.

"The humidity is low, winds are high and temperatures are high, so low humidity can affect vegetation as it makes them drier," Oliva said. "Any little spark can actually cause fire, and with the winds right now, as we are in a red-flag warning. It just makes it a lot more difficult as the conditions are really favorable for a fire."

One of the main concerns of many residents from the fire was the smoke. They were worried it could be harmful to them or how much the smoke could spread, as it did engulf large areas of the city. Oliva said all kinds of smoke from such a fire can be harmful for humans, but individuals should simply check if they present any symptoms of being affected. If they feel they do, they should seek medical attention.

"Smoke is not really healthy for humans," Oliva said. "If they do feel that they have any symptoms or residual effects from the smoke, go to the local ER to get checked. The best advice is to go see your medical professional as soon as possible."

As the temperatures will continue to get warmer and conditions drier, Oliva says people should listen to any red-flag warnings provided in the community to ensure that fires like these, and others that happen around large areas of vegetation, do not happen in the first place.

"When we do have these red-flag weather warnings, people should take them seriously, as those warnings are there for the possibility of it happening," Oliva said. "Be on the lookout for those red-flag warnings, please follow the tips that they are giving such as no outdoor fires, and even something as simple as cutting grass, they don't recommend for people to cut tall grass in a red flag weather warning because of the heat that the lawnmower generates. And if the grass is tall and it is over the lawnmower, that in and of itself can cause a fire."

He also recommends for people to not throw any cigarette butts that might still be lit out the window and to report if they see any small flame or anything that they feel could lead to a fire. He hopes people call 9-1-1 as soon as possible.

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