Updated Friday, Feb. 26 at 8:17 p.m. with information on the condition of the victim from the Victoria house fire.
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Ellis County firefighters responded to 13 fire calls this week, including a house fire near Victoria that resulted in a resident receiving serious injuries.
Ellis County Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management Darin Myers said he could not release the name of the person who was injured near Victoria on Friday, Feb. 19.
The family also said they would prefer to not release the name of the victim. However, a family member said one of the residents of the home was able to exit the home uninjured.
The second resident received first- and second degree burns on their face, neck and lower arms. The victim also as received injuries to their lungs from inhalation of flash fire.
The injured person was in the ICU as of Friday and doing as well as can be expected, the family member said.
The home, which was at 2584 Grants Villa Road, was a total loss.
An investigation by the state fire marshal could not determine a cause. However, inspectors suspect the blaze may have been sparked by a portable heater being used to warm pets.
No firefighters were injured in fighting that blaze.
Ellis County fire crews battled two significant grass fires Tuesday, while a third broke out across the county line in Russell County.
A grass fire west of U.S. 183 between Homestead Road and the Saline River burned about 270 acres. One hundred hay bales were caught in the blaze. Oil wells in the area were not affected, and cattle grazing in the area were able to be moved out of the path of the fire.
A home was threatened, but firefighters were able to protect the structure. An abandoned shed in the area was lost, Myers said.
Firefighters responded to another grass fire near Air Flyte Drive. A local resident was treated for smoke inhalation by EMS, but was not seriously injured, Myers said.
No firefighters were injured on calls this week.
Myers said this week has been exhausting for himself and the mostly volunteer county fire crews.
"Most of [these calls] have come in late in the day or evening," he said. "Most of these county firefighters work normal jobs and then some of them have been out on fires until midnight. That is 16 to 18 hours of hard labor."
Myers said the risk for grass fires will remain high until the area receives significant rain. That is not in the forecast any time soon. The National Weather Service is predicting no moisture for Hays at least through Thursday.
"Today and tomorrow, we will be at higher risk," Myers said. "When the wind speeds are 30 plus miles per hour, and humidity drops to 10 to 20 percent or less, there is a critical fire danger."
Anything that can create a spark can cause a fire in these dry conditions— a lit cigarette, sparks from a trailer chain dragging on the ground, power lines slapping in the wind, or the malfunction of a vehicle or piece of machinery, Myers said.
"Use common sense," Myers said, "When you are cutting or welding anything that drops hot sparks or embers, wet the area down. To prevent more significant damage, keep property maintained and mowed and create a good barrier between grass and your home."
If you have or see a fire, call 911 immediately, Myers said.
"The county is a pay-per-call department," he said. "We don't have people at the station. They have to leave home or work. We have 900 square miles in the county. It can take 20 to 30 minutes to reach the far reaches of the county. The quicker you call, the quicker we can respond."
Myers said he wanted to express his appreciate to the county's firefighters for their dedication to protect life and property.
Anyone who is interested in applying to be a county volunteer firefighter can receive an application by contacting the Ellis County Fire and Emergency Management office at 785-625-1061.