Texas wildfire burns 700 acres, forces evacuations
Published 2:12 pm Tuesday, October 20, 2015
- A firefighter rushes to extinguish flames on Monday afternoon as a wildfire burned in the northern portion of Walker County, Texas.
WALKER COUNTY, Texas — A massive wildfire broke out in an east central Texas county Monday, raging through more than 700 acres of land and prompting the mandatory evacuations of nearly 300 homes as officials from about 20 agencies fought to control the blaze well into Tuesday.
“We aren’t sure what caused that trailer to catch fire, whether it was a blowout or if a bearing broke,” Huntsville, Texas Fire Chief Tom Grisham said as he watched firefighters hose down a smoldering trailer. “But we believe that is what started it.”
The fire began around 1:15 p.m. when a trailer hauling round hay bales caught fire while traveling south on the state’s FM (Farm-to-Market Road) 980. Sparks from the trailer set an adjacent pasture on fire and windy conditions caused it to spread quickly.
The county Office of Emergency Management, the local Community Response Team, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Texas Department of Criminal Justice responded quickly to word of the fire and assisted in organizing an impromptu Emergency Operations Center set up in a nearby church parking lot.
Firefighters were able to keep the fire from reaching that church and subdivision during their efforts to extinguish the wildfire. Three helicopters were used to drop water on the fire, and two airplanes dropped fire retardant.
Due to the fire’s size, multiple area agencies, including the Texas A&M Forest Service and the U.S. Forest Service assisted the county’s team of firefighters as they battled the massive wildfire well into Monday evening.
Monday night, The Huntsville (Texas) Item reported that the fire was approximately 80 percent contained and had burned an estimated 700 acres north of nearby Huntsville, Texas. The blazed destroyed two mobile homes, five barns, seven sheds, a number of other structures and directly threatened more than 50 homes.
There were no reported injuries.
Residents who live near the blaze were evacuated with the help of state and local authorities as firefighters fought to contain the fire. Soon after, a county storm shelter was opened by emergency management officials for those who needed a place to stay until the fire was more contained.
Area resident Courtney White was able to see the power of the wildfire firsthand as she prepared to evacuate.
“I was shaking,” White told area affiliate KHOU.”I was so nervous. I just came in and started grabbing stuff.”
Another resident, Reagan Nelson, said that she watched as firefighters kept flames at bay once the wildfire came within two feet of her home.
“You never think you’d be stuck in the middle of something like this,” Nelson told KHOU.
“We should have it 100 percent contained before the night is over,” Walker County emergency management coordinator Butch Davis said Monday night. “We will be working late into the night making sure there are no flare ups and we will have an attack crew come out (today) to make sure the fire stays under control.”
By Tuesday, regional affiliate KBTX reported that the Texas A&M Forest Service maintained that about 80 percent of the wildfire had been contained by morning. According to the report, local evacuees were told they could return to their homes. No overnight deaths or injuries were reported.
No official report regarding the total damage or financial cost of the wildfire has yet been released.
The Huntsville (Texas) Item contributed details to this story.