Central Texas on Fire 2011

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/fema-to-help-pay-firefighting-costs
FEMA to help pay firefighting costs
Up to 75 percent could be borne by federal agency
September 6, 2011

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday authorized the use of federal funds to help fight fires in multiple counties in Texas.
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The fires have been burning in Bastrop County; Montgomery County; Travis County; Williamson County; and along the county lines of Grimes, Waller and Montgomery Counties.

The addition of these seven latest Fire Management Assistance Grants brings the total of approved FMAGs for Texas to 52 so far in 2011.

The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of state and local government eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires.

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/KXAN_News
chrissadeghi Chris Sadeghi
by KXAN_News
Names and locations will not be released on fatalities. They were not public servants. Investigation continues #Bastrop #centraltxfires
12 minutes ago
Chris Sadeghi
chrissadeghi Chris Sadeghi
by KXAN_News
Texas ag commissioner Todd Staples says this is worst fire season inTexas history. Warns everyone to be careful. It just takes a spark.
9 minutes ago
KXAN News
KXAN_News KXAN News
OFFICIALS: Bastrop fire has turned deadly, killing two. #centraltxwildfires #txwildfire
9 minutes ago
KXAN News
KXAN_News KXAN News
Bastrop Co. Judge has confirmed two fatalities due to the fire. No identification at this time.
12 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/KXAN_News

KXAN_News KXAN News
Bastrop County fire burned 34,000 acres and 550 homes. #centraltxwildfires #txwildfire kxan.com
44 seconds ago
KXAN News
KXAN_News KXAN News
Bastrop ISD cancels classes for the remainder of the week. #centraltxwildfires #txwildfire tinyurl.com/qnsqv
4 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23centraltxfires
impactnews_lcp Community Impact LCP
Leander Fire Chief Bill Gardner: Moonglow fire is suspected arson; device found and suspected of starting fire. #centraltxfires
1 minute ago

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/ynnaustin

YNNAustin YNN Austin
Union Chapel aka Cedar Creek fire @ 800 acres, 27 homes destroyed, 200 people evacuated
1 minute ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
RT @jeffstensland: 550 houses destroyed, Bastrop Complex fire now 34,000 acres. #txfire
5 minutes ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
RT @jeffstensland: Bluebonnet Electric: 4,300 families without power in Bastrop County right now.
7 minutes ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
RT @jeffstensland: Bastrop Schools closed until next Monday.
7 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/two-die-in-bastrop-fires%2C-officials-say
Two die in Bastrop fires, officials say
Identities not released; were not first-responders
September 6, 2011

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) - Two people have died in the Bastrop fires, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Neither of the victims were public safety workers, but officials declined to identify either individual. They also declined to release any details surrounding the deaths
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The announcement of the two fatalities was made during a late afternoon news briefing by Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald, who was joined by state Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin, who also represents the Bastrop area.
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[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23centraltxfires

ahknight Adam Knight
Because acres are mentally meaningless at this size know that Bastrop's fire now covers over 53 sq. mi. (34K acres) #txfire #centraltxfires
1 minute ago

AJTweetsHere AJ Miranda
Epic #centraltxfires photos over at @Statesman photoblog @collectivevis. Must see: photoblog.statesman.com/fires-rage-on
4 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

Pictures from Bastrop & Steiner Ranch Fires -

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23centraltxfires
SAEN_Photo SAEN_Photo
First 11 pictures in this slideshow are my aerials from the Bastrop fire. bit.ly/pklfu9 #txfire #centraltxfires
1 minute ago

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2011/09/06/leander_firefighters_respondin.html
Fire almost contained in Northwest Austin; two bodies found in Bastrop fires, officials say
September 6, 2011 4:40 p.m.

Austin

Austin fire crews are close to getting a series of fires near a Northwest Austin neighborhood under control, and they continue to investigate what caused them, an official said.

Several fires developed about 1 p.m. in the Angus Valley and Valley Oaks subdivisions on Duval Road between MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and U.S. 183, but only two outdoor storage sheds were destroyed, Austin fire spokesman Edward Lee said.

Nearby residents who had been evacuated are now being allowed to return home, Lee said.

The Riata apartment complex is located close to the area, along with commercial properties and neighborhoods, Lee said.

“It was a very close call,” Lee said.

Austin firefighters attacked the blazes from several access points and are now putting out hot spots, Lee said.
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There were no immediate estimates regarding the size of the fires or how many separate blazes were in the area, Lee said.

Also, a man was detained for questioning in the Angus Valley neighborhood in connection with the fires, but has since been released, an Austin police official said. The man was found to have no connection to the fires.
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Bastrop County





Two fatalities have been reported in the Bastrop fires, but officials are not prepared to release their locations, Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald said today. He had no other immediate details.

The bodies were not uniformed personnel, said Sheriff Terry Pickering, who earlier had said deputies were investigating “suspicious circumstances” at two locations but would not elaborate.

Somebody in the field discovered the bodies, Pickering said, but he did not know who or what crew they were with.

The massive wildfire in Bastrop County has burned around 30,000 acres, destroyed nearly 500 homes and forced 20 neighborhoods to evacuate, officials said. The largest fire remains zero percent contained, officials said.
A second fire called the “Union Chapel Fire” that broke out yesterday, has burned approximately 1,000 acres, officials said, destroying 25 homes. Between 100 and 150 homes are still threatened.

The area has been declared a federal disaster area and more planes will be circling the area soon, McDonald said.
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Steiner Ranch:

Steiner Ranch has been reopened for residents, who must show identification at check points to be allowed into the affected areas, officials said.

The fire is about 45 percent contained, officials said. Twenty-four homes have been destroyed, and another 30 have been damaged over 125 acres. There have been minor injuries to five firefighters.
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Officials did not know how long it will take to contain the blaze but said there will be smoke in the area for three to five days.

It is possible people will have to be evacuated again, Lake Travis Fire Rescue Chief Jim Linardos said.
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Williamson County:



The Moonglow fire in Leander has burned 300 acres, destroyed 11 homes and damaged eight others, fire officials said today.
We’re hoping that number doesn’t climb,” Leander Fire Department Chief Bill Gardner said. “It’s a ground battle. Air resources are not available.”

The fire is currently 70 percent contained, Gardner said. Three firefighters suffered non-serious injuries.

At the peak evacuation period, 500 people left their homes, Gardner said. That has now decreased to 120.

Leander Fire Chief Bill Gardner said at this morning’s briefing that residents of the Mason Creek North and High Chaparelle subdivisions had been allowed to return home Monday night, but some homeowners in Mason Creek proper were still shut out this afternoon.
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Pedernales One



A fire near Pedernales Bend near Spicewood was about 80 percent contained today, officials said. About 23 homes were destroyed, Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade said today. Another 44 structures have been damaged.

No structures have been lost today and there have been no reports of injuries, an Austin fire official said at a press conference about 2 p.m.

There have been conflicting reports on the number of acres burned. Officials earlier today said 12,000 acres were burned, but Austin Fire Capt. Peter Teliha and Wade said at about 2 p.m. that it appears only 6,400 acres were affected.
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Hays County

A mandatory evacuation in Hays County for the Pedernales One fire was lifted this morning, and residents are being allowed back into their homes, officials said.

Hamilton Pool Road in now open, officials said.

The fire was contained on the north side of Hamilton Pool Road this morning, officials said. Fire personnel in Hays County watched the area for hotspots overnight and will continue to do so today as necessary.

About 210 homes had been evacuated in the Stagecoach Ranches neighborhood, the Bell Springs Road-Lost Creek Road-Grand Summit Road area, Cedar Springs Ranch, River Oaks Ranch and Ranches at Hamilton Pool.
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Travis County

Area fire crews are attacking a large grass fire on Maha Loop Road near Texas 130 and U.S. 183 in southeastern Travis County, an official said.

The fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m., and residents of 30 nearby homes are being evacuated as a precaution, Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade said.

[MuffyBee]

And in the Houston area...

http://www.khou.com/news/Wildfire-threatening-Renaissance-Festival-grounds-in-Grimes-County-129268548.html
Firefighters, evacuees exhausted as Riley Road Fire remains uncontained
September 6, 2011

HOUSTON – More than 4,000 people have been evacuated in the Greater Houston area, 80 homes destroyed and 7,000 acres burned by a raging wildfire in Grimes, Montgomery and Waller Counties.

The fire, which started around 3 p.m. Monday near Crown Ranch in Grimes County, was zero-percent contained Tuesday, the Texas Forest Service said.

The TFS has dubbed the blaze the Riley Road Fire.

Mandatory evacuation orders were in effect in all three affected counties
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/top_stories/Bastrop-Fire-Claims-Two-Lives-20110906-ktbcw-#axzz1XDIBPiAr
Bastrop Fire Claims Two Lives
September 6, 2011 Updated 4:39 p.m.

The wildfire has burned more than 34,000 acres, 600 homes and claimed two lives in Bastrop area. It is now 15 percent contained. Officials have shared that the fire, which has required assistance from dozens of firefighting units - a total of 366 firefighters - from across the state, could be days from containment.
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County officials held a press conference Monday morning and said the fire is too dangerous to be fought from the ground.  They first had to fight the fire from the air using planes and helicopters including Black Hawk helicopters.  There have been 250 fire crews that have worked on fighting the fire.  Fire officials expect the fire will take several days to contain.

Additionally, a second wildfire broke out near Union Chapel last night, and has consumed nearly 1,000 acres and 27 homes. Another 100-150 homes remain threatened by that blaze. That fire is 15 percent contained.
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Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2011/09/06/leander_firefighters_respondin.html
Two bodies found in Bastrop fires, officials say; Leander fire investigated as an arson
September 6, 2011 5:42 p.m.
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Austin

Austin fire crews are close to getting a series of fires near a Northwest Austin neighborhood under control, and they continue to investigate what caused them, an official said.
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Bastrop County

Two fatalities have been reported in the Bastrop fires, but officials are not prepared to release their locations, Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald said at a press conference about 4:45 p.m. He had no other immediate details.

The bodies were not uniformed personnel, said Sheriff Terry Pickering, but he also would not say whether they were residents.

Somebody in the field discovered the bodies, Pickering said, but he did not know who or what crew they were with.
Officials are still waiting to positively the bodies and will to notify next of kin before releasing their identities, he said.

The massive wildfire in Bastrop County has burned around 34,000 acres, destroyed an estimated 550 homes and forced 20 neighborhoods to evacuate, officials said. The largest fire is no longer zero percent contained, officials said, but they could not estimate how much has been contained.
A second fire called the “Union Chapel Fire” that broke out yesterday, has burned approximately 800 acres and destroyed 27 homes, officials said. The fire is about 16 percent contained, officials said. About 200 homes have been evacuated.

The area has been declared a federal disaster area and more planes will be circling the area soon, McDonald said
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Steiner Ranch:

Steiner Ranch has been reopened for residents, who must show identification at check points to be allowed into the affected areas, officials said.

The fire is about 45 percent contained, officials said at a press conference about 5 p.m. Twenty-four homes have been destroyed, and another 30 have been damaged over 125 acres. There have been minor injuries to five firefighters.
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About 90 percent of the homes that were not destroyed or damaged have power, officials said, and they are working to restore gas and cable.

There were conflicting opinions on what may have caused the fire Tuesday afternoon.

A fire chief disputed claims Tuesday that overhead power lines were to blame. However, the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office said a the preliminary cause still pointed to overhead power lines based on witness reports, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade.

Clark, the Austin Energy spokesman, said the utility will work with authorities to investigate the cause further.
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An Austin police helicopter and three STARFlight helicopters flew overhead today assessing the fire but did not dump any water, Linaros said.

The fire is burining in “fingers,” Linaros said, but it can jump between them.

“It’s hard to cut fire lines in that environment,” he said, adding that embers drifting away is causing spot fires hundreds of feet away.

“We’re confident we can hold this,” he said.
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Williamson County:

Leander police are investigating the Moonglow fire as an arson and are looking for four teenagers seen running from a wooded area near where the fire began, county spokeswoman Connie Watson said.

The Moonglow fire in Leander has burned 300 acres, destroyed 11 homes and damaged eight others, fire officials said today.
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The fire is currently 70 percent contained, Gardner said. Three firefighters suffered non-serious injuries.

“We’re hoping that number doesn’t climb,” Leander Fire Department Chief Bill Gardner said. “It’s a ground battle. Air resources are not available.”

Officials did not have detailed descriptions of the four teens.

Anyone with information is asked to call Leander police at 528-2800, Williamson County CrimeStoppers at (800) 235-7867 or the Texas Forest Service (800) 364-3470.
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Pedernales One

A fire near Pedernales Bend near Spicewood was about 80 percent contained today, officials said. About 23 homes were destroyed, Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade said today. Another 44 structures have been damaged.

No structures have been lost today and there have been no reports of injuries, an Austin fire official said at a press conference about 2 p.m.

There have been conflicting reports on the number of acres burned. Officials earlier today said 12,000 acres were burned, but Austin Fire Capt. Peter Teliha and Wade said at about 2 p.m. that it appears only 6,400 acres were affected.
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Firefighters today have been checking damaged homes, making sure everything is extinguished and putting out hotspots, Teliha said. Firefighters are also checking for problems with propane tanks that exploded, he said.

About 10:30 a.m., firefighters used bulldozers to cut a line on the west flank of the fire, but it jumped the line, Teliha said. A helicopter was able to douse those flames, but it delayed an assessment of damaged neighborhoods, he said.

Most of homes damaged or destroyed are on the west side of the Pedernales River, officials said.

There has been no preliminary cause available, Wade said.
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Hays County

A mandatory evacuation in Hays County for the Pedernales One fire was lifted this morning, and residents are being allowed back into their homes, officials said.

Hamilton Pool Road in now open, officials said.

The fire was contained on the north side of Hamilton Pool Road this morning, officials said. Fire personnel in Hays County watched the area for hotspots overnight and will continue to do so today as necessary.
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A shelter at Dripping Springs Middle School on Tiger Lane in Dripping Springs is closed.
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Travis County

Area fire crews are attacking a large grass fire on Maha Loop Road near Texas 130 and U.S. 183 in southeastern Travis County, an official said.

The fire broke out shortly before 2 p.m., and residents of 30 nearby homes are being evacuated as a precaution, Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade said.

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23centraltxfires

DigitalTexan The Digital Texan
Statesman first quoted Sheriff saying suspicious circumstances with Bastrop deaths. Quote now removed. clicky.me/6KRa #centraltxfires
35 seconds ago

[MuffyBee]

   How can Rhoda Mae face the men and women firefighters after this?  

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-fire-chief-out-of-town-as-wildfires-1824414.html
Austin fire chief out of town as wildfires raged outside city
September 6, 2011

Rhoda Mae Kerr says she would have returned if fires were in Austin.

As fires tore through hundreds of Central Texas homes, Austin officials dispatched nearly 200 of their firefighters to help across the region and issued an urgent request Sunday for 25 off-duty firefighters to report to work.

But Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr stayed in Colorado for a Labor Day weekend golfing trip, leaving subordinates largely in charge of her department's response while keeping in touch by cellphone and email.

Officials said Tuesday that her absence from the disaster did not hamper firefighting efforts, which were coordinated by county departments, and that she remained involved from afar in her department's response.

A top assistant also said that Kerr offered early on to return and that he emphasized to her that the fire was not in the city's immediate territory.

Kerr, who was set to return to work today, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that she did not come home earlier because flames were not in the city.
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"All of the fires are not in the city limits of Austin," Kerr said. "If the fires were in the city limits of Austin, that would have been a whole different thing, and I would have made my way back as fast as I could have."

Tuesday afternoon, several fires broke out in two subdivisions near Duval Road in Northwest Austin, but those were put out by evening.

Kerr's decision to stay on vacation has renewed questions among some firefighters — nine of whom reportedly lost their homes in Bastrop County, the hardest-hit area in the unprecedented fires — and from union officials about her leadership.
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Bob Nicks, president of the Austin Firefighters Association, wondered why Kerr could not have ended her trip early and pointed out that Gov. Rick Perry left the presidential campaign trail to return to Texas.

"It's a 100-year event, with fires of this magnitude," Nicks said. "It would be better if the chief was here to at least provide guidance to the citizens" about fire safety.

He added that numerous Austin firefighters cut short their vacations and Labor Day weekend activities to report for duty when the fires worsened Sunday.

But City Manager Marc Ott, Kerr's boss, defended her, saying that it is possible for any city official — himself included — to be on vacation when an emergency strikes.
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For example, Kerr said, she and Evans discussed — and she approved — sending crews Tuesday to Bastrop County at the state's request.

A public notice issued by the department Sunday that it was trying to summon 25 extra firefighters to work also drew criticism.

The message, sent to Austin news outlets, later went viral on social media sites. Posts about the notice on Facebook and Twitter abounded well into Tuesday, incorrectly saying the department was "begging for retired and any fireman (sic) to call the number" and come to work. The post included a phone number, and it was unclear where that posting originated.

"It created panic, it created confusion, and it made the department appear unorganized," Nicks said of the initial posting and its aftereffects.

Evans said Tuesday that department officials were trying to reach firefighters by calling their home and cellphone numbers but that they thought sending a message through the media would be faster.

However, Evans said the department will soon look at other ways to get in touch with firefighters during a crisis.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Texas-wildfires-claim-2-lives-2158303.php
Texas wildfires claim 2 lives
September 6, 2011

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In Bastrop County, Sheriff Terry Pickering declined to provide details about the deaths other than to say that the victims were not police or firefighters. Officers had not been able to identify the bodies, he said.

Gov. Rick Perry said a 100-member search team will comb the area this morning for more possible victims. He said the number of homes destroyed by wildfires since last December had surpassed 1,000 statewide. Some 3.5 million acres have burned.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8374579/more_dead_in_texas_wildfires.html?cat=49
More Dead in Texas Wildfires
Homes, Acreage Lost to Infernos
September 6, 2011

The numbers are staggering and changing so fast that authorities can barely keep track of the changes. The Bastrop County, Texas fire that began on Sunday afternoon has burned some 52 square miles, nearly twice the size of the island of Manhattan. At least six hundred homes, and two lives, have been lost to this one fire alone. Statewide, four have died since Sunday.

The Texas Forest Service reports that from August 30 to September 5, they responded to 181 fires that burned 185 square miles of land. When fires fought by local fire departments are included, that number increases to 336 fires in seven days. In 2011, all of the fire fighting agencies in Texas combined have fought over 18,719 fires, 2,897 structures have been destroyed and over 5,522 square miles of land has been burned. That area is equivalent to the size of the State of Connecticut.

Texas Task Force One has been ordered to deploy to the Bastrop fire by Governor Rick Perry. TF1 is one of the top search and rescue teams in the world. Due to the speed of the fire's spread, officials are concerned about the possibility that people were trapped. About 100 Task Force members and a dozen search dogs are expected to arrive by Wednesday, September 7.
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The weather forecast for Texas offers little hope. While winds will drop, there is no rain in the immediate future and the exceptional drought conditions will continue. The fire conditions will remain fluid and the threat intense until the state sees significant rain.

[MuffyBee]

 Bastrop, Texas Fire

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/larger-bastrop-fire-now-30-percent-contained
Larger Bastrop fire now 30% contained
Union Chapel fire is 20 percent contained
September 7, 2011

BASTROP COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) - The largest fire in Central Texas, ripping through Bastrop, is now 30 percent contained as of 7:40 a.m. Wednesday.

The Southern Area Type 1 Red Team will be in place in Bastrop County early Wednesday morning, and they will have access to firefighting experts from across country.

They will be able to plan better attacks on the fires that continue to destroy homes and lives.

Two people have died while two fires continue to burn on either side of the city of Bastrop.

Bastrop complex fire

The biggest fire is just east of the city, which has consumed 38,089 acres and destroyed 576 homes. It is 30 percent contained.

Union Chapel fire

The smaller fire, to the west of Bastrop and called the Union Chapel fire, has consumed about 800 acres and destroyed 28 homes. Some 150 homes are threatened, and 200 people have been evacuated. That fire is only 20 percent contained.
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Video at link

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23centraltxfires



DFWscanner D/FW Police Scanner
TFS - BASTROP UPDATE - Fire is 30% contained with 35,000+ acres. #txfire #centraltxfires
2 minutes ago

OrneryTX Mitch Norris
Just horrible scenes. RT @jayjanner: @statesman photos from inside the fire lines: bit.ly/pPUScx #centraltxfires
5 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

Houston area:

http://www.khou.com/news/Wildfire-threatening-Renaissance-Festival-grounds-in-Grimes-County-129268548.html
Officials: Major progress made as Riley Road Fire nearly 85-percent contained
Posted September 5, 2011, Updated September 7, 2011

HOUSTON – Firefighters have made a great deal of progress battling the wildfire that destroyed nearly 80 homes and burned at least 7,800 acres in Grimes, Montgomery and Waller Counties. Officials say the fire is nearly 85-percent contained, but the biggest threat remains in Grimes County.

More than 180 fires have erupted in just one week, with the largest fire in Bastrop County where more than 1000 homes were ruined.  The Texas Forest Service has dubbed the blaze the Riley Road Fire.

 About 1200 firefighters joined to battle the wildfire, including crews from Utah, California, Arizona and Oregon. Texas Task Force 1, which responded to 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, has also joined in the fight. Fire officials will continue with air drops, saying smoke and isolated burns are expected for weeks to come.
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Texas is enduring its worst drought since the 1950s, and this wildfire is among at least 57 currently burning in the state.

Since last December, 3.5 million acres have burned in Texas – an area about the size of Connecticut. In September alone, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and four people – a mother and a baby in East Texas and two people near Bastrop -- have died.
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