Lubbock Fire Rescue conducts burnout operation for Yellow House River Fire

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock officials are taking precautions after a brush fire in east Lubbock damaged over five acres of land.

On Wednesday, a fire broke out near East 50th Street and East Loop 289.

LFR Deputy Chief Nick Wilson explained the difficulties to put out the Yellow House River Fire began as soon as crews arrived.

“Initially, this fire was very challenging,” Wilson said, “as a lot of wildfires are in the conditions, when it’s windy, when it’s dry, elevated temperatures, there’s always a potential for that fire to spread and get larger very rapidly.”

Another obstacle was where the fire was located, as smoke continued to rise from the area days after it began.

“The thing that has made this fire a lot more challenging is this is the site of what we believe was an old dump ground, possibly where a lot of the tornado debris from the 1970 tornado was buried underground,” Wilson said. “So as the vegetation burned off, what we discovered is a lot of that debris now underground that is burning that, quite frankly, there’s not a whole lot we can do about.”

Wilson highlighted the efforts of multiple crews, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, to make sure the fire did not spread any further.

The City of Lubbock Public Works Department is now developing a plan to install a dirt cap on the site in an attempt to eliminate the smoke.

The fire damaged about five acres of land in the area, but has been contained. Crews conducted a burn out operation on Tuesday to remove any items that could potentially contribute to the fire spreading outside the containment line.

“It’s where we take and we burn or remove the fuel between where the fire is, and where we think it may go or where it wants to be,” Wilson said. “By burning all that vegetation that’s around it, it really leaves the existing fire in the area, whether it’s underground or above ground, it just leaves it nowhere to go and makes for a much safer condition.”

LFR officials wanted to remind the public that while smoke in the area may still be visible, crews are working hard to finish the job.

“We are monitoring that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make sure it stays contained,” Wilson said. “We’ll be there till the job’s done.”

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