Fires destroyed one home and damaged two others over the past seven days.

Weve experienced a greater number of fires in the last seven days than weve experienced in the entire year, Dawson County Emergency Services Chief Lanier Swafford said.

At 5 p.m. March 11, emergency crews responded to a structure fire in the 900 block of Price Road. Swafford said the fire was contained underneath the residence. The cause of the fire was outdoor burning, he said.

Minimal damage was caused, and no injuries were reported.

Residents of a home in the 100 block of Backwoods Trail were not as fortunate. Their home was destroyed by fire on March 12.

At 10:30 a.m., crews responded to the home, which was already heavily involved with flames, Swafford said.

One resident was in the home at the time of the fire, but was able to escape without injury.

Heavy winds and lack of water on site led to a lengthy amount of time to suppress the flames, Swafford said. Cause of the fire is still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected, he said.

Another fire early Sunday morning destroyed a garage and one car, Swafford said.

At about 2 a.m., emergency crews responded to a structure fire in the 700 block of Perimeter Road. Swafford said a garage detached from the home was declared a total loss. One resident escaped the fire without injury. Swafford said the fire is still being investigated, but it appears to have been an accident.

Swafford said emergency services sees an increase in outdoor burning this time of year, but two of the three fires this week werenot weather-related. He advised residents to use caution. Make sure they (residents) have a home escape plan and fire alarms, he said.