Posted on 09/04/2011 10:23:33 PM PDT by Steelfish
Thousands Flee As Wildfire Torches 300 Texas Homes
SAN ANTONIO — A fast-growing wildfire fanned by winds from Tropical Storm Lee torched an estimated 300 homes near Austin on Sunday, and thousands of people in hundreds more homes had to evacuate overnight. "It's catastrophic," Texas Forest Service Fire Chief Mark Stanford was quoted by the Austin American-Statesman website as saying. "It's a major natural disaster."
The fire had burned through 14,000 acres and was 16 miles long, threatening some 700 more homes in Bastrop County, just east of Austin. Aerial units estimated that 300 homes were destroyed or damaged. In neighboring Travis County, fires caused evacuations and burned homes in neighborhoods to the north and west of Austin.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Latest on the Bastrop fire is that it is 0% contained, 16 miles long and 4 miles long. In addition, there are 4 more wildfires. To the west of Austin in the Steiner Ranch subdivision, (FM 2222& 620), southwest near the Travis and Hayes county line, Hamilton Pool area, 2 in Pflugerville, the Reserve and West Creek subdivisions
4 miles long=wide
A friend just informed me they have evacuated the Steiner Ranch subdivision and a family is taking shelter at my friend’s house.
Yes, exactly. They were actually evacuated last night and have not been allowed to return. Local news is reporting MAYBE they can around the noon hour. There’s also homes in the 3 million dollar range in there but wildfires don’t discriminate
How horrible. I can’t even imagine. Is that your place?
It almost looks like moonscape
The fire as of the time of this posting is 0% contained. It is about 15 miles east of me. There are a lot of hotspots around but the “main” one is out near Bastrop heading southwest. They are evacuating people. So far this fire has displaced over 6,000 people, scorched 14,000 acres, and destroyed 400 homes.
Stiner Ranch hear austin is totally evacuated. 25 homes have been destroyed. This is just starting. And we are waiting for Perry to call up the National Guard to help.
Follow it on twitter at #centraltxfires
...My son & wife are fairly close by.....I have quite a few loved ones in and about the area.....
Did the fire get the Steiner Ranch steakhouse?....is the fire all over that area?
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