Fires break out across Central Texas

As sad as this is, I can't say I'm surprised. The entire state is just one ticking timebomb. All it would take is one spark and half the state could easily burn. Everyone should really look at the map that Byrd posted, if they haven't already. Things are so bad here, and there isn't any expected rain for at least another 2 weeks. The next rainy season isn't supposed to start until October, but I don't know if we can wait that long.

For anyone in Texas: Please be prepared. Just because the fires have mainly been around Austin and Possum Kingdom Lake (near Fort Worth), that doesn't mean it can't quickly happen where you live. Make sure you know a way out of your house and neighborhood, and don't forget about your neighbors and pets/animals.

Your right about almost all of Texas being ablaze..... or it's starting to seem so anyway. HWY 71 is closed from Smithville to Bastrop. The Bastrop fire was reported to be 16 miles long by 6 miles long., 25k acres and 476 homes burned in just that one fire. It crossed the Colorado River in 2 places. Another fire in Bastrop has been reported.

Fires in many other locations across the state. Spicewood , Steiner Ranch, Ft. Hood,& San Antonio just to name a few.

I was wondering if these fires are
fought the same way as in other
locations such as California. I
know the terrain is different so
do they make fire lines, douse
water from the air? Is there an
expected change in the weather
that might help? I have hopes
they can be contained and soon!

reply to post by rogerstigers


I will sound evil, but screw it.

HA!

That's all I can say.

Thanks Rick Perry. The prayer of your heretical nonsense made God go ahead and scorch your entire state.

It does look like Texas is getting hit hard at the moment. Hoping for a break, soon...

Active Fire Mapping Program

Originally posted by Gorman91
reply to post by rogerstigers

 

I will sound evil, but screw it.

HA!

That's all I can say.

Thanks Rick Perry. The prayer of your heretical nonsense made God go ahead and scorch your entire state.

Heh, yeah, my experience with Mother Nature is she is spiteful.. beg for rain and she'll give you a light sprinkle then drop the humidty and hit you with lightening then sit back and laugh while she floods someone else with all the extra water.

Originally posted by crazydaisy
I was wondering if these fires are
fought the same way as in other
locations such as California. I
know the terrain is different so
do they make fire lines, douse
water from the air? Is there an
expected change in the weather
that might help? I have hopes
they can be contained and soon!

edit on 5-9-2011 by crazydaisy because: (no reason given)

The tactics tend to be similar, yes. We have a lot more open plains than forest here, though, so fires move faster. Also we don't have anywhere near the amount of helicopters or, for that matter, available lakes for dumping water. (most of our lakes are drinking water resevoirs)

reply to post by rogerstigers

Thank you for answering my questions. Its been
some time since I lived in Amarillo and was in
central Texas but I knew this would not be the
same as elsewhere. Its going to be very difficult
to contain the fires. Stay safe each and every one.

Stay safe my Texan friends and even my Texan enemies that call me names in the political forums.

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by Abney

 

What roads is best to get into Austin coming from East Texas?

edit on 5-9-2011 by jam321 because: (no reason given)

I would use I-35 - a little longer but away from the fire.

Our state is on fire once again.

BBC article

Earlier, Jan Amen of the Texas Forest Service described the central Texas blaze as "a monster" that had been "zero percent contained".

My prayers for those in the path.

We are now currently at over 500 homes destroyed for the Austin Area. With the winds as strong as they area, don't look like a break any time soon.

Bastrop fire images

Stay safe!

This is making the rounds on FB in my area, I've posted this to WeatherUnderground and will add it here as well:

ATTENTION TEXAS AND SURROUNDING AREAS.. WE NEED FIREMEN!!!! Begging for retired and any fireman to call number to help. We were short 25 fireman last night. Cannot contain town of Bastrop, 35 miles away...fire is 16 miles long, 6 miles wide..., jumped Colorado river, evacuated entire town and also neighborhood called Steiner ranch of 5500* PLEASE EVERYONE REPOST EVEN IF NOT IN TEXAS.. SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS MAY BE. HELP!! Call 512-978-1187 PRANK CALLERS WILL BE SHOT!! Please, Please REPOST

The situation is indeed serious.

Satellite image showing plainly visible plumes of smoke:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/670dd1c07ea6.jpg[/atsimg]

Here are a few updates I just found that recently came out.

Fire in Montgomery County (This was spotted only at 3pm and grew to 1600 acres)

www.kbtx.com...

This update just around 2 hours ago

2115 Hrs.

Around 3 pm today a fire was reported in the Magnolia area. An exact location that the fire started has not been determined

The fire has been traveling in a southwesterly direction and has threatened areas in Montgomery, Grimes and Waller Counties. Evacuations were ordered for a number of residences both using the Code Red Alert System and door to door notifications. The leading edge of the fire is located in the area of Greenbiar Drive (Key Map 210 Y). Emergency officials caution everyone to stay out of the areas.

The fire covers approximately 1600 acres and is being fought to be brought under control by emergency services from Montgomery County, Harris County, and State resources have been requested.

And this is the latest update for that fire

2315 Hrs.

Four firemen have been taken to the hospital for treatment for heat exhaustion and one with an injured ankle. All are minor injuries. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported.

Containment of fires in Montgomery County is progressing but there remain areas that fires are still being battled. Hot spots throughout the fire areas will be monitored and attacked by fire resources as needed.

This article is about the Bastrop fire, and the possibility of another fire to the south of the city growing into a different, large blaze

www.click2houston.com...

Strong winds and drought conditions allowed the fire to travel quickly over somewhat hilly terrain, burning through pine and cedar trees and wiping out subdivisions as well as ranchland. The blaze consumed as much as 25,000 acres along a line that stretched for about 16 miles, Texas Forest Service officials said.

Mike Fischer, the county emergency management director, said the fire is "nowhere near controlled," and that a separate, smaller blaze south of the city is growing larger.Im not sure how many fires there are at the moment

The fire has jumped the Colorado River multiple times, according to the Texas Forest Service

The ferocity and speed with which it was moving made it unsafe to fight from the ground, officials said.

"It's a monster, and it's zero percent contained," Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Jan Amen said.

ETA - It seems some firefighters from North Texas are being sent down to fight the Bastrop fire.

www.nbcdfw.com...

Firefighters from Tarrant County mobilized in a Hurst parking lot Monday evening to head into battle in Central Texas

The Northeast Tarrant County strike team is made up of firefighters from five fire departments: Trophy Club, Grapevine, Richland Hills, Southlake and Hurst. The team of 11 firefighters doesn't know how long they'll stay or what exactly they'll be doing.

Could these fires actually burn a whole city? Like roll through austin and take the whole city? Just asking. They are hitting close to home

Originally posted by showintail
Could these fires actually burn a whole city? Like roll through austin and take the whole city? Just asking. They are hitting close to home

Well, it can to a degree, but the highways and parking lots, etc., do serve as firebreaks to a degree.

You know, my first thought was that whatever paltry sums of cotton, etc. was growing in those fields in Texas might be about to go up in smoke.

Here's a little update for this this morning today.

www.cnn.com...

It seems that the number of destroyed homes has jumped to over 700 since Sunday.

The fires have killed two and, according to the Forest Service, destroyed more than 700 homes since Sunday. Perry said 1,000 homes had burned, but he appeared to be referring to the 1,091 homes the state Forest Service reported had burned since the fire season began in November 2010.

The largest fire, near Austin, has spread across 30,000, acres, destroying more than 600 homes and forcing the evacuations of at least 5,000 people, officials said Tuesday. Known as the Bastrop County Complex, the fire has burned largely uncontrolled since it began Sunday afternoon.

They are still saying the Bastrop fire in out of control

Another fire near Houston -- called the Magnolia fire -- required the evacuation of an unknown number of residences in 11 subdivisions. And the Riley Road Fire in Grimes County -- one of at least 63 that have flared up since the weekend -- has destroyed 20 homes and has hundreds more in its path, the forest service said. It had burned 3,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to the forest service.

I have family living in Bastrop as well as a small area right outside the city limits. So far, over 600 homes have been destroyed and 30,000 acres. My brother and his wife had to evacuate last night, but were allowed back in this AM. Currently, the fire is about 4 miles from their home. We have friends who have lost everything including their pets and animals. Some were away while their homes burned and they had nothing left to go home to. Some were told to evacuate in just enough time. The Park at Lost Pines (which was built after WWII) has burned up as well as Tahitian Village (a subdivision on the outskirts of the city). The parking lots in Bastrop of Home Depot, Walmart, etc. are shelters as well as schools and churches. Please everyone say a prayer for these people. So many fires in Texas - they all need our love and support and prayers.