000 WWUS84 KCRP 010100 SPSCRP SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 700 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2005 TXZ229>234-239>247-012200- LA SALLE-MCMULLEN-LIVE OAK-BEE-GOLIAD-VICTORIA-WEBB-DUVAL- JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-ARANSAS-REFUGIO-CALHOUN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...COTULLA...ENCINAL...TILDEN... GEORGE WEST...THREE RIVERS...BEEVILLE...SKIDMORE...GOLIAD... VICTORIA...LAREDO...RIO BRAVO...FREER...BENAVIDES...SAN DIEGO... ALICE...PREMONT...KINGSVILLE...CORPUS CHRISTI...ROBSTOWN... PORT ARANSAS...PORTLAND...INGLESIDE...ARANSAS PASS...SINTON... MATHIS...ROCKPORT...REFUGIO...WOODSBORO...PORT LAVACA... PORT O'CONNOR...SEADRIFT 700 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2005 ...HIGH FIRE RISK THROUGH THE NEW YEARS HOLIDAY WEEKEND... ...TEXAS FOREST SERVICE DECLARES HIGH RISK OF ACCIDENTAL FIRES... THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OVER RECENT WEEKS COMBINED WITH ONGOING RAINFALL DEFICITS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH TEXAS. WITH THE VERY DRY AND DORMANT VEGETATION ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS THE FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE TO BE ELEVATED. IN ADDITION...THE USE OF FIREWORKS WITH THE APPROACH OF THE NEW YEARS HOLIDAY WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK FOR ACCIDENTAL FIRES...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ABUNDANCE OF VERY DRY VEGETATION. RESIDENTS IN CORPUS CHRISTI...LAREDO...AND VICTORIA ARE REMINDED THAT FIREWORKS ARE BANNED WITHIN CITY LIMITS. ALSO...THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH TEXAS HAVE ESTABLISHED AERIAL FIREWORK RESTRICTIONS... GOLIAD...BEE...LIVE OAK...REFUGIO...NUECES...JIM WELLS...AND LA SALLE. IF YOU WILL BE USING FIREWORKS MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS... KEEP FIREWORKS AWAY FROM GRASSY AREAS...AND KEEP A BUCKET OF WATER OR WATER HOSE CLOSE BY. MAKE SURE THERE IS ADULT SUPERVISION AT ALL TIMES. USE CAUTION WHEN DOING ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AS IT IS COMMON UNDER SUCH DRY CONDITIONS FOR ACCIDENTAL FIRES TO START FROM MACHINERY AND MOTOR VEHICLES. DO NOT ALLOW RUNNING CARS TO SIT OVER GRASSY AREAS FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. DO NOT THROW CIGARETTES ONTO THE GROUND. BURNING TRASH OR OLD CHRISTMAS TREES IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS DURING THIS TIME OF DROUGHT. IF A BURN BAN HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR YOUR COUNTY DO NOT CONDUCT ANY OUTDOOR BURNING. BURN BANS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING SOUTH TEXAS COUNTIES...VICTORIA...GOLIAD...BEE...LIVE OAK...JIM WELLS...DUVAL...AND LA SALLE. FINALLY...IF A WILDFIRE DEVELOPS AND ESCAPES AN INITIAL ATTACK... RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY FOR A SAFE ZONE. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DEMAND MANDATORY EVACUATION WITHIN TEXAS. $$ RUNYEN