Newton County residents are being told to leave outdoor burning alone after an unattended debris pile sparked a 2-acre brush fire south of Newton on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 7.
The fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m. in the Pinegrove community on Highway 87, south of the city of Newton. Two structures were in danger before crews stopped the spread. Newton Volunteer Fire Department sent four trucks and six firefighters, and Trout Creek Volunteer Fire Department matched with four trucks and six firefighters. Neither structure was damaged. No citation was issued, even though Newton County remains under a burn ban.
Newton Fire Department Captain Melanie Smith said fire danger is extremely high and urged residents to be aware of the burn ban. The National Weather Service in Lake Charles followed up Thursday with a Red Flag Warning for Jasper and Newton counties from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, citing dry fuels, northeast winds gusting to 20 mph and relative humidity as low as 25 percent.
Newton, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby are the 936-area counties under burn bans today.
Sources: KJAS, National Weather Service Lake Charles, Texas A&M Forest Service Burn Bans.