Re: Winter Weather?

We have been in an "exceptional drought". We received about half an inch yesterday (a line of severe storms swept from west to east rapidly), and it is our first 'significant' rain since around August.

2008 is the 3rd driest year on record.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/cli/sat/satmonpcpn.htm

You should see the grass. Fortunately, the Floresville area hasn't been hit by too many bad grass/brush fires recently. We have been in a burn ban for quite a while, and a total fireworks ban during new year.

There are a things that can be done to prevent the type of disaster you see in Australia. Of course, our environment is different than theirs. And I don't understand what happened over there well enough to say that they messed up. We don't really have forests, just brush and grass. Some trees burn hotter and quicker than others. Pine and ceder burn hot and fast. The trees we have around here, mesquite, oak, etc, aren't as likely to allow canopy fires. So, we don't have forest fires, but we can have some nasty grass fires, especially if wind is involved. One of the main things is to keep a buffer between the fuel and your house. I've seen grass fires burn right up to mobile homes. You need to have buffers and firebreaks. A good way to control a big fire is to bulldoze or plow a firebreak around it, and if necessary, start a back burn.

Regards,
Michael