Late in the evening of September 11, 2011, the Bastrop County Complex Fire is still burning on 34,068 acres. The Bastrop County Complex Fire, which started mid-afternoon on September 4, 2011, has now destroyed 1554 homes. Two residents also died in the fire. There are still some residents missing, but it is believed they may be out of town.
Tensions in Bastrop continue to grow as residents are still unable to return to their homes, but the Bastrop County Complex fire is only 50% contained as crews work on hot spots and damaged utility lines. The Union Chapel Fire is 90% contained. Plans are in place to slowly allow groups of residents to return starting Monday morning.
State Hwy 71 was reopened in the area on September 10, 2011; however, all evacuated areas are patrolled by law enforcement 24 hours a day to prevent looting.
As of Sunday night, there are 1351 firefighters and other personnel working the Bastrop County Complex Fire, including a Type 1 Incident Management Team, 17 crews, 176 engines, 10 water tenders, and 14 dozers.
There are also 65 additional air resources available that move between the major fires burning in Texas, including four Military C-130 aircraft that arrived on September 10, 2011 from Colorado Springs, Colorado and are capable of delivering more than 3,000 gallons per load; and a DC-10 wide body jet airtanker capable of carrying 11,000 gallons of fire retardant.
Governor Rick Perry scheduled a press conference in Bastrop on September 10, 2011, to discuss the present status of the fires as well as the federal government's Disaster Declaration, but Perry never arrived and attendees were informed at the end of the conference that his absence was due to a change in location for the conference. Information for Texas Residents on FEMA's Federal Aid Programs for Disaster Recovery is available online.
Northeast Texas Fires Complex
Another large group of fires causing concern for firefighters is the Northeast Texas Fires Complex. The Pacific Northwest Team 2 under Incident Commander Mike Morcom assumed unified command of the Northeast Texas Fire Complex with the Texas Forest Service and Incident Commander Lin Risner on September 10, 2011.
The Northeast Texas Fire Complex, formerly known as the Bear Creek Fire (#536) and Old Magnolia Complex, is burning southwest of Linden, Texas on 49,997 acres of fuels consisting of oak, loblolly pine, scrub oak and deciduous brush.
The Bear Creek Fire is burning on 40,388 acres, and the Magnolia Complex is on 4909 acres. The Magnolia Complex fires include the Moore, Locker Plant, and Old Magnolia Fires. The Fires have destroyed 24 homes and continue to threaten additional structures. Seventy residents remain evacuated. The fires are believed to be 80% contained, though they continue to burn so strong that the word "containment" seems like a contradiction.
"It's not a contradiction in the world of wildfire firefighting," according to Bill Paxton, Information Officer with the Texas Forest Service. "The fire has burned through the area and has a containment line around it, but there is still active fire within the lines. In this area of Texas, the ground has dried up for 6 to 8 inches down and all moisture is gone from the trees. The larger the fuel, the longer the fire stays inside the fuel, smoldering, so you have hot spots inside the fire line still actively burning."
"This particular fire has unburnt fuel cells still within the containment line," Paxton continued. "Once firefighters have established a containment line, their work is not done. They still have to do mop up of hot spots. In Texas, firefighters have to do intensive mop up of up to 300 feet within the containment line because wind events can send sparks flying back out and the fire can start up all over again."
The Riley Road Fire in Grimes/Montgomery/Waller Counties
According to Bill Paxton, the Riley Road Fire is 65% contained. The Riley Road Fire started on September 5, 2011, in the Crown Ranch area of Magnolia, then spread through Waller and Grimes counties. Paxton said the Riley Road Fire is now burning on 18,468 acres.
According to the Texas Forest Service Incident Information System (InciWeb) the Riley Road Fire has a Unified Command (Texas Forest Service, Grimes County, Waller County, Montgomery County, and California Incident Management Team 4) with a total personnel of 698 assigned to the fire.
In addition to support from the DC-10 airtanker, there are also four Single Engine Air tankers (SEATS); four C-130 air tankers; four Black Hawk Helicopters; oneType One Helitanker; one Type Two Helicopter, and one Type Three Helicopter.
The Riley Road Fire did flare up and cross containment lines on Saturday afternoon, but the containment lines were quickly restored through a combined effort of air and ground resources. The eastern edge was the most critical area of the fire on Sunday, according to the Texas Forest Service. The fire has already destroyed 60 structures and damaged 23.
On Sunday evening, September 11, 2011, residents of Ranch Crest, Wisteria Farms, Ranch Crest, Woodland Lakes, Alford Estates, Magnolia West, and River Park Ranch neighborhoods were allowed to return home, as well as those near Ruel Road and Old Hockley Road south to Nichols Sawmill Road.
Progress on Texas Wildfires
Texas firefighters are now receiving wildfire firefighting assistance from every state in the US, from Alaska to Florida. On September 10, 2011, the Texas Forest Service responded to 24 new fires burning on 100 acres. On September 8, 2011, the Texas Forest Service responded to 20 new fires burning on 1422 acres--a sign of progress.
"For awhile, Texas firefighters were stretched pretty thin," according to Bill Paxton, of the Texas Forest Service. "We now have over 2200 people from all over the country working to help Texas and enough resources to handle the fires. We're like a bunch of worker ants swarming on a fire. Yesterday's numbers show we're being really aggressive about attacking these fires."
"They used the DC10 on structures yesterday, that’s how serious they are about stopping fires," Paxton said. "They're dropping retardant on a commercial building to stop fires before they can grow to the size of Bastrop."
A two-alarm grass fire broke out Saturday afternoon in the City of Panorama Village north of Conroe burning a two-story house. Montgomery County firefighters called for assistance from the Texas Forest Service and the DC-10 was diverted from the Riley Road Fire long enough to make three drops of fire retardant directly overhead while ground crews and dozers established containment lines.
Recommendations from the Texas Forest Service
"At this point, the best thing I could recommend to Texas residents is to be extremely careful with fire," Bill Paxton said. "In Texas, 91% of wildfires are caused by humans. We can all help prevent wildfires simply by not doing things we shouldn't."
Paxton explained that high-risk behavior includes barbecuing on an open grill, parking a hot truck on dry grass, or throwing cigarettes out car windows.
According to Paxton, if Texas residents witness someone doing things that could spark a wildfire, they should be proactive, approach the person and say, "Hey, have you thought about the fact that we’re in an extremely dangerous fire situation right now?"
"The best line of defense we have right now in Texas is people, because we can stop many of these fires from starting in the first place," he explained.
Additional Wildfire Updates
In the past seven days, the Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires burning on 166,475 acres.
Although there have been conflicting reports on acreage and containment on the Diana (#545) Fire in Upshur County, according to Bill Paxton of the Texas Forest Service, the fire continues to burn on 809 acres of grass and timber fuels, is 75% contained, and continues to threaten 20 homes.
The Bonbiew Ranch Fire in Van Zandt County has 350 acres burning with 80% containment.
In Marion County, the Boot Walker Fire (#553) is now burning on 1047 acres, up from yesterday's 1000 acres, though it is 80% contained. There has been a wind shift that could threaten 30 homes and access to the fire is limited, as well.
In Houston County, the Arbor Fire is burning on 3000 acres of timber fuels. Although it is 90% contained, 15 homes were lost.
The 101 Ranch Fire in Palo Pinto County is now burning on 6555 acres on the south side of Possum Kingdom Lake near the town of Brad. The 101 Ranch Fire is now 85% contained, though it did burn 39 homes and nine RVs. This fire is burning near the same area as the Possum Kingdom Fire, which burned 160 homes and 127,000 acres in three counties in April of this year.
Fire Maps
There are a few wildfire maps available online, though their accuracy is variable. Bastrop County has a wildfire map on their website. The USDS Forest Service website has a map listing the larger fires, and the Weather Underground also has a fire map available. The Texas Interagency Coordination Center also has an online map.
Volunteer Fire Departments in Texas
In Texas, local volunteer fire departments respond first and generally call on the Texas Forest Service when the fires burn over 100 acres or grow beyond their control. According to Chris Barron, Executive Director of the State Fireman's and Fire Marshal's Association, there are 1400 fire departments in the State of Texas.
Volunteer firefighters arrived on Saturday from around the state, as far away as Corpus Christi and Brownsville, but when they arrived, they were told they were no longer needed. As volunteers will do, many remained at the scene to provide assistance to the evacuees, according to interviews conducted by The Gonzales Cannon.
Actor Kyle Chandler, star of the former television series Friday Night Lights, recorded several public service announcements this fall urging Texans to volunteer at their local fire departments and donate to the Wildfire Firefighters Fund and four of the big 12 football team coaches--Mike Sherman, Mack Brown, Tommy Tuberville, and Art Briles--also recorded a public service announcement urging Texans to support their local volunteer fire departments.
Corporal Kevin Aigner Dies While Working at Steiner Ranch Fire Location
Corporal Kevin Aigner, a Travis County Constable from precinct 2, died after suffering from difficulty breathing on September 10, 2011, around 10:45 a.m. Aigner was working on the Steiner Ranch Fire when he fell ill and was transferred by STAR Flight to Seton Medical Center.
Corporal Aigner served as a peace officer since 1996 in Travis County Constable precinct 2 offices since 2000. He was a highly decorated and respected officer in Travis County.
Assistance for Texas Wildfire Victims
Within the State of Texas, FOX 7 News in Austin, Clear Channel Austin Radio, Sonic Drive-In Restaurants and the Capital Area Food Bank are working together to collect food donations. Through September 23, 2011, Texas residents can donate non-perishable food at any Sonic Drive-In location and Sonic Drive-In employees will come out to the vehicle to collect the donated items.
H-E-B Grocery Stores are collecting cash donations at checkout stands at all locations. The H-E-B Grocery Stores have also set up mobile kitchens donating meals, water and ice to evacuees and donated $50,000 to the Red Cross to help with displaced residents of Bastrop, Steiner Ranch, Spicewood, and other communities. The Central Texas Red Cross is also taking donations.
Darla Sue Dollman - Darla Sue Dollman, BA, MFA, has expertise in classic films, the Old West, boating, and animals.
Join the Conversation