December 31, 2025 - Shelby County firefighters are regularly responding to grass and brush fires this week as 2025 comes to a close December 31, 2025.
Center Fire Department confirms having received two grass fire calls on Wednesday, December 31, while also responding to three grass fire calls on December 30, on Nacogdoches Street in Center, on County Road 2468 and County Road 1090.
Timpson Volunteer Fire Department reports several grass fires on Wednesday. Shelbyville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a grass and woods fire just after 5pm on FM 139.
During Shelby County Commissioners’ Court Stevie Smith, Commissioner Precinct 3, shared that Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department reports several fires to him.
According to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), Shelby County is in the 301 - 500 KBDI range on December 31, 2025, where it was at a range of 190 - 301 KBDI on December 15, suggesting conditions are quickly becoming dryer.
According to Texas A&M University, the drought index ranges from 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion, and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions. Presently, this index is derived from ground based estimates of temperature and precipitation derived from weather stations and interpolated manually by experts at Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) for counties across the state. Researchers at Texas A&M University are working with TAMFS to derive this index from AVHRR satellite data and NEXRAD radar rainfall within a GIS.
Residents are being encouraged not to burn of at all possible, and if setting off fireworks celebrating the new year, to consider doing so in a safe area and to make emergency preparations in the event a fire should start.
