County considers bulldozer for fire supression

Young County Commissioners debated the purchase of a new bulldozer to help with fire suppression after an active wildfire season that was driven by a drought in 2021 and most of 2022. Texas A&M Forest Service forecast a “normal to below normal 2023 dormant fire season” for most of the state because of “the reduced amount of grass on the landscape this year.”

County fire crews had a scare on Jan. 11 when a hay truck caught fire on State Highway 16 and burned more than 50 acres in high wind conditions. The commissioners pushed the vote about whether to purchase a used Komatsu bulldozer for approximately $215,220 to its Feb. 13 meeting. “I honestly think we need one before fire season starts,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Stacy Creswell said. “If the fire department needs our help, we need to support them.”

County Judge Win Graham said he consulted with the area’s volunteer fire chiefs, all of whom requested that the commissioners reinstate a burn ban.The court unanimously to reinstate a burn ban, effective Jan. 23 until April 22, unless it is rescinded earlier.