Fires raging throughout Central Texas

Austin American Statesman ^ | Sep 04 2011 | Staff

[grey_whiskers]

UPDATE 7:30 P.M.: Mark Stanford, the fire chief for the Texas Forest Service , said subdivisions have been evacuated there but they have no estimate on what structures have been lost.

People are being told to evacuate to the First Baptist Church in Smithville and Bastrop Middle School, Stanford said.

In addition, State Highways 71 and 21 in Bastrop County have been closed, Stanford said.

Update, 6:48 p.m.: Wildfires have consumed more than 6,000 acres in Bastrop County, and firefighters are still working to get the blazes under control.

According to Bastrop Police Department Spokesman Michal Hubbard, hundreds of homes have been evacuated, including those at the Colony, west of the city of Bastrop, and Tahitian Village to the east. Several structures have been lost, he said

[cajungirl]

Thanks, listening to scanner, Bastrop county not on? Irt is offline I guess.

[TornadoAlley3]

Spicewood, TX
Fire video from Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDCsSaZPYDE

[penelopesire]

Gads..the Texas Forrest Service website is not even loading anymore. I guess too many people are waking up and trying to access the site.

[davetex]

Try this:

http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=30.23059&lon=-97.80441&zoom=10&type=hyb&units=english&pin=Austin,%20TX&plat=30.24487&plon=-97.76556&rad=0&wxsn=0&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0&fire=1&fire.sat=1&fire.smk=1&fire.day=1&fire.day=7&fire.hrmin=0&fire.hrmax=24&fire.opa=70&fire.mode=0&tor=0&ndfd=0&pix=0&dir=0&ads=0&dd=0&tfk=0&ski=0&stormreports=0

[penelopesire]

Thanks.

[MEG33]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/09/05/perry_will_cut_short_campaign.html

Perry will cut short campaign trip to deal with fires

[SouthTexas]

Neat map, thanks.

Finally got a hold of son and he said everything is fine although he didn’t think all the fires were contained. They worked on generators last night until midnight, have power back now.

[Sequoyah101]

You would not be excoriated by me. I’ve never seen anything like this drought in my nearly 60 years. Texas is wasting away. Trees that are decades old are dying. There is NO ground moisture. Wells are drying up and contrary to the belief of some... domestic water supplies even in SE Texas are falling to dangerous levels.

A hurricane is our last chance for water this year. Long range forecasts do not show the winter or next summer as being any better. When the forecasters won’t mention La Nina or El Nino you know neither is changing.

The fire threat is immense. We will lose more property and homes from fire than from hurricane before this is over.

[grey_whiskers]

Yes, I remember that post well.

In fact, I even commented on it myself later in the same thread.

Cheers!

[yorkie]

Great map - and very disturbing! The smoke appears to be covering almost half the state! This is just shocking!

Prayers are SO heartfelt for all in TX, OK and other areas where people, pets, livestock and homes are in harms way.

[no-to-illegals]

Praying for Texas and the people of Texas. God, Texas needs rain, lots of rain to put out these fires. Let it rain, Lord. Amen.

[grey_whiskers]

I see one on the map you supplied just north of Huntsville...about 5-10 miles(?) north of the "Sam Houston National Forest".

Yikes. How "forest" is "forest" here? (I'm used to birch, oak, sycamore in Minnesota. Is it all scrub or are there real tree-trees?)

g_w

[grey_whiskers]

What do you think the Press is going to do to Perry over this?

Remember how they treated Bush over Katrina?

Better devote some brainpower on the side to thinking about that while you call in either the National Guard, or firefighters from waterlogged Vermont (flooded=waterlogged=safe from wildfires).

Prayers up.

[grey_whiskers]

Those look like real tree-trees all right.

I guess my question in #212 is answered.

Jeepers sh*t.

Have you considered moving to Vermont?

g_w

[Texas Deb]

Great news, SouthTexas, good to hear they have power back!

Hope all fires can be contained soon.

[SouthTexas]

We still have a north wind blowing down here and it’s not hot anymore, but not cool either.

Definite haze in the air and the faint smell of smoke. I’m 2 to 2.5 hrs south.

[janetjanet998]

good place for info

http://www.facebook.com/TxStormChasers#!/TxStormChasers

[yorkie]

I saw Gov. Perry at a Town Hall meeting this morning - and he talked about the border. He wants to put more boots on the ground (4,500) and high tech drones.

I may have to reconsider my thoughts of him being an ‘open border’ candidate.

Also, I think it was a necessary and admirable move - for him to return to his beloved state this morning, to evaluate these horrible wildfires.

[wolfcreek]

The Press, the Leftists and the gutless cowards on this board will say what they will. My thoughts are with my family, friends and all those effected by these fires.

[Texas Deb]

Just heard on my Facebook page from my friend in Bastrop who lost her home in the fire yesterday.

She said she and her husband are staying at their son’s house on the west part of town. She said the fire is still burning in the mostly residential and piney wood area. She said they had 5 minutes to leave so they left with two cars, one grand daughter, and their pets. She said they watched the fire last night and saw it jump the highway and the river, coming pretty close to where they are now. She said, “It is official - I hate pine trees.”

My prayers continue for the safety of my friend and her family and for the safety of all residents and firefighters who remain in danger from this horrible disaster.