CURRENT TEXAS WILDFIRE SITUATION

Texas Forest Service ^ | September 6 2011

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Wildfire Update – Sept. 5, 2011

Current situation:

· Texas Forest Service responded yesterday to 63 new fires that burned 32,936 acres, including 22 new large fires.

· Strong winds and low relative humidity from Tropical Storm Lee caused numerous wildfires to spread rapidly yesterday. Additional National Guard Blackhawk helicopters and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) strike teams, as well as a heavy airtanker from South Dakota were mobilized Sunday to assist with the large number of fires. Weather conditions are expected to reach critical levels again today.

· Texas Forest Service has dozens of aircraft ready to respond this morning, including four heavy airtankers, 15 single-engine airtankers, 12 helicopters, and 13 aerial supervision aircraft. A Type 1 incident management team has been requested to assist with the Bastrop County Complex.

· 251 of the 254 Texas counties are reporting burn bans.

· Daily detailed fire information can be found at inciweb.org.

New large fires from yesterday (more than 100 acres in timber, 300 acres in lighter fuels; or where homes were lost):

* Note: Details on many fires are still unconfirmed. Below is the latest information provided.

BASTROP COUNTY COMPLEX, Bastrop County. 14,000 acres, no containment. Heavy airtankers and single-engine airtankers assisted on this fire that started in the Lost Pines area just northeast of Bastrop. The fire has moved unchecked for at least 16 miles to the south and has jumped the Colorado River twice. The Circle D, K.C. Estates, Pine Forest, Colovista and Tahitian Village subdivision have been evacuated. Firefighters are trying to hold the fire at FM 2571. Reports indicate possibly 300 homes have been destroyed. MODIS satellite image indicates the fire has jumped Highway 95 and is approximately 25,000 acres.

STEINER RANCH, Travis County. 150 acres, no containment. The fire started just north of the Steiner Ranch subdivision. More than 1,000 homes are under mandatory evacuation in Steiner Ranch. At least 25 homes are reported lost. A Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System strike team responded.

PEDERNALES BEND, Travis County. 7,000 acres, unknown containment. The fire is burning four miles southeast of Spicewood. Twenty homes were lost, 30 homes damaged.

HENDERSON #495, Henderson County. 5,000 acres, unknown containment. Three homes were saved.

#491, Limestone County. 3,000 acres, unknown containment. Six homes were saved and one was lost on this fire 20 miles east of Waco.

DELHI, Caldwell County. 1,000 acres, 10 percent contained. Twenty homes were saved and six were lost on this fire east of Lockhart.

BAILEY, Colorado County. 1,000 acres, unknown containment. This fast-moving fire threatened 40 homes near Columbus. Blackhawks, single-engine airtankers and a heavy airtanker assisted.

MOORE, Smith County. 927 acres, 5 percent contained. Ten homes were evacuated and five were lost on this fire burning on the Smith/Gregg County line. Two civilian fatalities were reported.

#545, Upshur County. 500 acres, 50 percent contained. One hundred homes were saved; none lost. The fire is burning East of Gilmer.

LUTHERHILL, Fayette County. 2,000 acres, unknown containment. The community of Ruttersville was evacuated. Seven homes are reported lost.

BONBIEW RANCH, Van Zandt County. 350 acres, unknown containment. Twenty homes were saved southeast of Canton.

CLEMANIS, Upshur County. 400 acres, 85 percent contained. Twenty homes were saved.

#543, Gregg County. 300 acres, unknown containment. Numerous homes were saved, none lost.

#538, Harrison County. 200 acres, contained. One hundred fifty homes were evacuated in a trailer park east of Longview.

#502, Nacogdoches County. 200 acres, unknown containment. More than a dozen homes have been evacuated, but none lost.

#841, Houston County. 200 acres, unknown containment. Fifteen homes were threatened east of Crockett.

PLEASANT GREEN ROAD, Gregg County. 150 acres, contained. Numerous homes evacuated and saved south of Longview.

KENNEDY ROAD, Rusk County. 150 acres, unknown containment. Numerous homes threatened, one lost.

HODDE, Travis County. 325 acres, contained. Two hundred homes were evacuated and saved east of Pflugerville. No homes reported lost.

PETTYTOWN, Caldwell County. 200 acres, 90 percent contained. Twenty homes were saved east of Lockhart.

OLD MAGNOLIA, Gregg County. 100 acres, unknown containment. No homes threatened. Two fuel tanks exploded.

SOUTH SULPHER, Hunt County. 100 acres, 70 percent contained. Five homes were threatened and two were destroyed.

#839, Leon County (Concord Robbins). 100 acres, unknown containment. At least 15 homes are reported lost and more than 300 were evacuated.

Uncontained fires from previous days (more than 100 acres in timber, 300 acres in lighter fuels):

*Note: No current updates available except on the 101 Ranch Fire.

101 RANCH, Palo Pinto County. 6,555 acres, 75 percent contained. The fire is burning on the south side of Possum Kingdom Lake near the town of Brad. Thirty-nine homes and nine RVs have been reported destroyed.

CRAB PRAIRIE, Walker County. 977 acres, 90 percent contained. Numerous SEATs and helicopters, as well as National Guard bulldozers assisted. Two homes were reported to be lost.

HORNETS TANK, Briscoe County. 5,500 acres, 90 percent contained. The fire is burning in juniper and grass in rough terrain near Palo Duro Canyon.

CEDAR RIDGE, Bosque County. 903 acres, 75 percent contained.

3547 ROAD, Wise County. 400 acres, 80 percent contained. Approximately 60 homes were evacuated near this fast-moving fire. Five homes were lost.

JOHNSON (JACKSON) RANCH, Edwards County. 600 acres, 95 percent contained. Three homes were lost on this fire burning 27 miles northwest of Hunt.

BIG DRAW, Kimble County. 600 acres, 20 percent contained. Active fire behavior in heavy fuels and steep terrain was observed. Twenty homes are threatened.

RICK RANCH, Sutton County. 395 acres, 95 percent contained. The fire is burning 24 miles west of Junction.

JACK MOUNTAIN, Coryell County. 1,700 acres, 60 percent contained. The fire is burning five miles south of Gatesville on the Ft. Hood military reservation.

BUNDY ROSS RANCH, Edwards County. 600 acres, 75 percent contained. The fire is burning in juniper, grass and brush 7 miles southeast of Telegraph.

DOUBLE T, Menard County. 300 acres, 95 percent contained. The fire is burning 19 miles west of Brady.

PICKET RUN, Montague County. 1,100 acres, 90 percent contained. The fire is burning in tall grass 7 miles south of Bowie.

CEDAR TRUCK COMPLEX, Kimble County. 357 acres, 80 percent contained. Thirteen homes were saved on this fire burning just west of Fort McKavett. This was a combination of 34 different starts along a 24-mile stretch of highway.

COSTER, Hall County. 1,000 acres, 80 percent contained. Four homes were saved on this fire burning 26 miles northwest of Childress.

HORSESHOE BEND, Coryell County. 525 acres, 75 percent contained. The fire is burning 10 miles south of McGregor. National Guard Blackhawks assisted on the fire. Twelve homes were saved.

Weather Outlook:

A ridge of dry high pressure across the mid U.S. and the Texas panhandle will drift into west Central Texas during the day. This will continue the stronger winds over the east half or more of the state along with drier relative humidities into the 10 to 20 percent range across much of the state. High temperatures will be in the upper 70s to lower 80s over a large portion of North Texas to near 100 over Deep South Texas near the Mexico border. The stronger winds are expected to weaken over most of the state Monday night.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

More at link — my earlier post was removed because I put too much text in comment.

Hang in there.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Fires-destroy-homes-in-Bastrop-Magnolia-2156637.php

[excerpt]Magnolia fire

The Magnolia fire, located off FM 1774 and FM 1488, jumped FM 1488 late Monday and forced further evacuations, although some families were being allowed back to their homes. The Magnolia Independent School District canceled classes today because of the fires. Evacuation shelters were being set up throughout the area, including at Magnolia High School.

Another fire in the area had burned 100 acres and was 80 percent contained, Norris said. It had destroyed one structure and caused no injuries after 50 homes were evacuated.

A fire covering about 100 acres was burning in Oak Ridge North late Monday.

A fire near Nacogdoches that started Sunday night raged to 300 acres Monday and forced 60 families to evacuate their homes, said Ralph Cullom, a spokesman for the Texas Forrest Service. That fires grew with strong gusts of winds and fed off of dry conditions on the ground.

“This drought we’re having is just unprecedented,” Cullom said.

No injuries have been reported in Bastrop, but two people were reported killed in a North Texas fire Monday. A woman and her 18-month-old child died when a fast-moving fire near Gladewater, east of Dallas, set their mobile home on fire and they were unable to escape. [end excerpt]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

2:40 video: Eyewitness reports in Magnolia.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This LINK is to several videos [7 so far].

http://blog.chron.com/newswatch/2011/09/raw-video-of-lake-travis-neighborhood-hit-by-wildfire-%E2%80%94-kvue/

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thousands evacuated, hundreds homeless as wildfires engulf Texas [excerpt] ..........Although the worst devastation occurred east of Bastrop, a new threat erupted late Monday morning in the Cedar Creek neighborhood west of town, when wildfires spread through dried brush and grass, forcing the evacuation of dozens of homeowners. Fire officials said the fires were apparently started by a downed power line that touched off a grass fire.

"I've got to get out of here," said 64-year-old Urban Graf, a retired Marine, as gray smoke wafted across the yard of his four-bedroom, three-bath home. Graf asked a reporter to drive his red 2011 Chevrolet Camaro to safety while he loaded his three dogs and a cat in another vehicle to escape the approaching fires.

.....Firefighting and emergency rescue teams from across the state poured into the area throughout the day, many of them fresh from battling grassfires elsewhere in Texas. Capt. Dan White of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Fire Rescue said his team of about 20 personnel had dealt with wildfires in Palo Pinto County and the Ennis area before arriving Bastrop County at mid-day Monday....

Since the beginning of wildfire season, local and state firefighters have responded to more than 20,900 fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and burned more than 3.6 million acres.... [end excerpt]

[trumandogz]

It was a bit odd today to see all the helicopters and planes flying over the city.

I doubt it will rain in September and we should have a little rain in October-December.

IF not, 2012 is going to be a lot worse.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Good interactive graphic of current Texas fires

[Cincinatus' Wife]

BASTROP: Church becomes haven for evacuees [excerpt]…. The church became a sanctioned evacuee station Sunday after it became clear the fires in and near Bastrop would displace hundreds, if not more.

By late Monday, more than 100 people had come to Ascension to wait out the smoke and flames.

Lee Mobley, 73, sat with his wife, Martha, and tried not to ponder what he might not ever see again. The retired chief petty officer in the Navy had 15 minutes to leave, he said.

"It's tough to make a decision in 15 minutes about what you're going to get from your house," he said solemnly.

"We left 22 years of memories from the military there," he added. He also abandoned a car in the garage.

He'd been saving it, he explained, for his grandson.

Others at the church worried about the condition of their wedding pictures and heirloom furniture…..[end excerpt]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

American Red Cross of Central Texas

2218 Pershing Drive, Austin, 78723

(512) 929-1250

Central Texas Red Cross

Austin Disaster Relief Network

P.O. Box 3817, Cedar Park, 78630

(512) 331-2200

Austin Disaster Relief

Capital Area Food Bank

Accepting nonperishable food donations (canned meats, granola bars, peanut butter, bottled water) at 8201 S. Congress Ave., Austin

(512) 282-2111

Austin Food Bank

Catholic Charities of Central Texas

Accepting monetary donations as well as items such as blankets, pillows, toiletries and medical supplies from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1817 E. Sixth St., Austin, and 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. at 6225 U.S. 290 East.

Catholic Charities of Central Texas

H-E-B

Collecting donations to American Red Cross at its stores' checkout stands. 
H-E-B is donating $50,000 to the Red Cross and deploying its mobile kitchen to the emergency shelter at Bastrop Middle School.

Old Wind's Dollar General Store

Accepting clothing donations at 210 Main St., Smithville

[Cincinatus' Wife]

http://kgnb.am/news/devastating-fires-across-south-central-texas-how-you-can-help

“...................Over 400 residents remain in emergency shelters, and there are a lot of items needed, since many of those residents have lost most, if not all, of their possessions. Specifically, they need clothing, shoes, new pillows, and toiletry items, plus baby items like diapers and wipes. KGNB/KNBT has begun accepting those kinds of donations, and we’ll be delivering those donations to the main Smithville-based distribution center this week. Just bring those donations to the radio station here on Loop 337. No food items please.

And if you need more information about how to donate or volunteer in Bastrop County, call Megan Hancock at 512-304-8171. [end]

[thackney]

[MestaMachine]

I’m watching this on TV and I am dumbstruck by the size and scope of this thing. I so fervently pray, Dear Lord, DO SOMETHING! PLEASE!

[dirtboy]

At least the winds have finally died down - but the relative humidity is still very low.

[thackney]

Total acres burned in Texas since Nov. 15, 2010: 3,601,775

http://inciweb.org/incident/article/2315/12993/

[crusty old prospector]

From what I have heard, the Bastrop fire is burning in the Lost Pines area, which is a unique stand of pine trees about 100 miles west of their normal range.

[Rightly Biased]

Great info Bump...

[Arrowhead1952]

Thanks for the update thread.

[Texas Deb]

Thanks so much for starting this thread!

[mta504nola]

Louisiana neighbor here...I’ve been praying for Texas for months now-and I’m not stopping anytime soon. Let’ get on our knees and repent and ask the Lord to open the heavens and shower Texas with His mercy in the form of rain. My prayers are with the firefighters, local police, mayors & Mr. Perry...The Lord grant them wisdom & mercy.

[Betis70]

Prayers for Texas. I’ve dealt with wildfires when living in New Mexico, they can be sheer terror.

Have lots of cousins in east Texas (Tyler area) and west Texas (Odessa, Midland, out to El Paso).