Central Texas on Fire 2011

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/09/08/flareup_prompts_rescue_of_util.html
Bastrop flare-up prompts rescue of utility crews
September 8, 2011

BASTROP — In a dramatic operation, firefighters rescued utility crews from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative from a new flare-up in the still-burning Bastrop Complex wildfire.

The details of the rescue were made public late this afternoon by Mike Fisher, the county’s emergency management director, as a public warning about the dangers of returning to burned areas too soon.

Fisher said the utility repair crews in several bucket trucks were repairing overhead electric lines today in the fire zone off Texas 21 east of Bastrop when smoldering trees nearby flared up, a sudden burst fueled by increasing afternoon winds and low humidity.

“They were trapped,” Fisher said. “It was very serious.”

Authorities quickly diverted two water-carrying helicopters from a nearby mission, and after water was dropped on the fast-approaching fire, the crews were escorted to safety by fire crews and deputies who had raced to the scene.

“They are fine. Their equipment is fine,” Fisher said. “But this shows how, with the increasing winds and low humidity, the fire has become very active again in several areas.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/more-of-lake-travis-closed-due-to-fires
More of Lake Travis closed due to fires
Mansfield Dam to Mile Marker 5 now off limits
September 8, 2011



AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Lower Colorado River on Thursday expanded the area of Lake Travis that is closed for air support for firefighting efforts.

The lake now is closed for five miles – from Mansfield Dam to Mile Marker 5 to allow air support a safe place to draw water to fight area wildfires. LCRA will keep that portion of the lake closed until water from the lake is no longer needed for firefighting efforts.

The remainder of the lake is open.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search/links/%23centraltxfires

Willie_J_Jones Willie Jones
Great shots of a terrible day RT @michaelwrose #Photos: Bastrop County Labor Day Wildfire lic.kr/s/aHsjvWayPi]flic.kr/s/aHsjvWayPi]lic.kr/s/aHsjvWayPi #centraltxfires #txfire
4 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search/links/%23centraltxfires
statesman Austin Statesman
Images of the devastation as some Bastrop County residents are allowed to return home #centraltxfires bit.ly/pCDOql
19 minutes ago  ( A lot of pictures at link)

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/search/links/%23centraltxfires
keyetv keyetv
pics of lost #bastrop pets at Austin Humane Society #Centraltxfires on.fb.me/oU3ssy
2 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://www.space.com/12852-texas-wildfires-space-astronaut-photos.html
Astronauts Spot Texas Wildfires From Space
by Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Senior Writer
 September 7, 2011


Smoke wafts off the Earth from wildfires in Texas in this photo taken by space station astronaut Ron Garan on Sept. 6, 2011.
CREDIT: NASA/Ron Garan

The wildfires burning in Texas are visible all the way from space, as seen in photos by astronauts on the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Mike Fossum was particularly saddened to see the fires, because Bastrop State Park, one of the damaged areas, is a favorite spot of his.

Fossum asked Mission Control to update him about the fires, which have raged over thousands of acres in Central Texas during the past week. The fires are thought to have been spurred by winds from Tropical Storm Lee, which swirled over the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and made landfall on the Gulf Coast.
More...
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://twitter.com/#!/ynnaustin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst now talking at Bastrop press conference. Tune into YNN, channel 8 or channel 1508.
14 minutes ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
Just in: ABIA says the tanker has NOT taken off yet.
25 minutes ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
The DC-10 tanker will NOT fly over Bastrop, unless wind conditions worsen. The plane is in E.TX right now. Please, forgive the typo earlier.
39 minutes ago
YNN Austin
YNNAustin YNN Austin
The DC-10 tanker will not be flying over Bastrop County unless wind conditions pick up, according to the TX Forest Service.
53 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

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

keyetv keyetv
RT @suzannewblack: #Bastrop schools will open Monday. #centraltxfires #txfire
2 minutes ago
mkelly007 Mackenzie Kelly ♡
Here's the current State of Texas fire activity map: bit.ly/fmlKqz #txfire #centraltxfire
6 minutes ago
DFWscanner D/FW Police Scanner
Great map showing fires and smoke. Check out the smoke from the 50,000 acre wildfire north of Marshall, TX. #txfire - fb.me/yG6mpU8C
16 minutes ago
DFWscanner D/FW Police Scanner
GRIMES/MONTGOMERY/WALLER COUNTIES - Fire is now 12,500 acres with a fire line 9.5 miles long & 3 miles wide. 50% contained. #txfire
20 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

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

DFWscanner D/FW Police Scanner
From the TFS: The DC10 is airborne! Possibly headed to the Tri-County Fire near Todd Mission, TX (not confirmed). #txfire #centraltxfires
43 seconds ago

http://twitter.com/#!/KXAN_News
TXForestService Texas Forest Service
by KXAN_News
The DC 10 is airborne.
2 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23txfire
CalFireNews Cal Fire News
#TxFire The DC-10 Air Tanker(VLAT) has been scrubbed from Bastrop County Fire, Firefighters getting handle on #wildfire
5 minutes ago

[MuffyBee]

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/08/3349133/texas-forest-service-grappling.html
Texas Forest Service grappling with funding cuts
September 8, 2011

As the Texas Forest Service battles what may be the state's most destructive wildfire outbreak ever, state lawmakers are facing criticism that they have has taken a penny-wise-pound-foolish approach to funding the agency.

Texas is one of the few states that rely primarily on volunteer fire departments to protect rural areas from wildfires. About 330 firefighters with the forest service traditionally serve as a second tier of defense when such fires get larger than the local department can handle.

The Legislature cut the agency's funding this year to $83 million from $117 million, according to Robby DeWitt, the forest service's associate finance director.

Chris Barron, executive director of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, said: "It's very frustrating that they don't have the proper tools and resources to fight these fires. If fire departments had enough funding, if the forest service had enough funding, we wouldn't be in this predicament over each and every year."

The issue is drawing more attention in part because of the sheer scope of the Central Texas wildfire, which has destroyed more than 1,500 homes and killed at least two people. There's also a new political component as critics charge that the budget cuts are proof that the fiscal restraint Gov. Rick Perry is touting on the presidential campaign trail comes at a price.

Perry's office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Perry has previously said that his push this year to preserve billions in the rainy day fund was partly in case of a natural disaster. FEMA has begun approving requests for aid.
 ::snipping2::
DeWitt said the latest funding cuts translate mostly into the agency approving fewer grants for new equipment for volunteer fire departments. That fund had to be cut from $23 million to $7 million, he said. Since 2003, the fund has been used largely to defray costs for new trucks for volunteer departments, with lesser amounts spent on safety gear and training.

"What we're planning is to not award grants for trucks," DeWitt said. "That's the biggest expenditure."

He said the cuts do not directly affect operational costs for volunteer fire departments, most of which are financed at the local level.

The firemen's association is drawing attention to the state's funding woes as it solicit donations to buy wildfire-fighting gear for the state's volunteer firefighters. Many firefighters have gear for fighting only structural fires, which isn't practical for use in wildfires, Barron said. As a result, some firefighters are battling blazes in their "street clothes," he said

The fund has drawn about $200,000 in donations since May, but the Association has $500,000 in requests for gear, said Kelsey Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=12888
CURRENT TEXAS WILDFIRE SITUATION
Wildfire update – Sept. 9, 2011

Current situation:

· Yesterday Texas Forest Service responded to 19 new fires for 673 acres, including new large fires in Camp and Hill counties.

· In the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 186 fires for 156,517 acres.

· 250 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):

HICKORY HILL CEMETERY, Camp County. 181 acres, contained. Burning in cutover and pine. This fire started Tuesday, however TFS resources were not utilized until yesterday.

DAM, Hill County. 250 acres, 80 percent contained. It appears that up to six homes were lost on this fire yesterday.

 
Uncontained fires from previous days (more than 100 acres in timber, 300 acres in lighter fuels):
(See long list at link)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2011/09/09/firefighting_efforts_see_good.html
Firefighters had ‘good night’ in Bastrop; schools to reopen Monday
September 9, 2011




Firefighting efforts in Bastrop County have reached day six, and emergency crews gained progress Thursday night against a blaze that has consumed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres.

The news bodes well for residents hoping to return to homes that survived the massive fires, which have consumed 36,000 acres and nearly 1,400 homes at last count.
“We had a pretty good night,” said Mike Fisher, coordinator of emergency management for Bastrop County. “We didn’t lose any new acreage.”

Bastrop County officials, who were joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, spoke to residents and the media in a morning briefing in which they discussed power restoration, school openings, donations and a pending request for federal disaster relief.
 ::snipping2::
Mark Rose, the CEO of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, said more than 100 crews are continuing to assess the situation and restore power to homes that were not affected by the wildfire.
 ::snipping2::
But residents will not be allowed back to their properties until all utility poles have been extinguished and other fires have been put out, Rose said.

Rose added that his crews will energize the areas west of Tahitian Drive soon, but areas to the east cannot get power soon.

“Our first priority is to get people in non-burned areas home,” Rose said.

No new areas were opened to residents today.
 ::snipping2::
A cause and the location where the fire started have not been been determined, McDonald said.

Donations have been pouring in at such a voluminous pace that the county had all it can hold as of this morning, Fisher said. He added, however, that his staff is trying to find another location for more donations in the coming days.
 ::snipping2::
Bastrop schools will be open Monday, Superintendent Steve Murray said. Residents have asked him to help try to return to some semblance of normalcy as soon as possible, he said.

Business as usual might be impossible, Murray said, but the district will do what it can to help students. Counselors will be on hand at the school, as they have at shelters, he said.

Normally, the district has about 300 homeless students, which require certain allowances, but Murray said he expects that number to increase by three times, four times or more because of the fire.

All students will get free breakfast and lunch next week, Murray said.

“We’ll see where it goes beyond that,” he said.

Smithville school officials also intend to open Monday, the district announced on its website.

“Buses will pick up displaced students at Smithville Recreation Center and First Baptist Church between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.,” the statement said. “Displaced students temporarily housed outside the Smithville ISD boundaries, please contact the SISD offices at 512-237-2487 for pick up arrangements.”

Bastrop County residents living south of U.S. 290 and not in the city of Bastrop are being asked to boil their water before drinking it.
 ::snipping2::
McDonald said 844 personnel are on the ground fighting the fire, along with three helicopters and 143 engines.

Fisher said it is unlikely that firefighters will need to use a DC-10 plane that has been on standby at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

There was confusion involving the air support, with some saying that the plane, which was moved here from California, would be used for the Bastrop fire. However, the plane is dedicated to be on call for any Texas fire, and at this time, Bastrop area officials have not deemed it necessary.

It’s a costly option, too, as each use runs at least $70,000, Fisher said.

“It’s an asset, it’s available,” he said.
The plane left Austin shortly before 11 a.m. to fight the Riley Road fire northwest of Houston that spans four counties, Texas Forest Service officials said. That fire, which has consumed 15,000 acres, continues to grow and burn additional acres, said Nick Harrison, a spokesman for the service.
 ::snipping2::
A few residents who attended the morning briefing shouted out questions about help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said at the briefing that he wrote a second letter today to President Barack Obama, asking for aid.

The letter came from Dewhurst because he’s the acting governor while Gov. Rick Perry is out of state.

A disaster declaration would give Texas access to heavy equipment and federal dollars, said Dewhurst, who’s running for U.S. Senate.

“We need help yesterday,” Dewhurst said. But so far, he added, “Nothing’s happened.”

Speaking directly to the president, Dewhurst said: “Mr. President, we need a statewide disaster declaration right away.”

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/09/texas.fires/
Frustrations boil over as Texas wildfires turn up the heat
September 9, 2011

Bastrop, Texas (CNN) -- Texas is in urgent need of a federal disaster declaration to help respond to wildfires throughout the state, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Friday.

Nearly 1,400 homes have been destroyed in Bastrop County, Texas, since a wildfire started there six days ago, Dewhurst said. Other major fires are burning in Cass, Travis, Grimes, Montgomery and Waller counties, according to the Texas Forest Service.

Dewhurst, who is acting governor while Gov. Rick Perry travels, said he got no response to a statewide disaster declaration request earlier this week. So he has signed another one to drive the point home.
 ::snipping2::
There was no immediate response from the White House.

A disaster declaration would give the state access to heavy equipment, personnel, supplies and other support that would help it respond after nearly 300 consecutive days of wildfires, Dewhurst said.

Obama has approved a limited disaster declaration for fires in April and May.

"But this problem has been ongoing since January," Dewhurst said. "And if anything it's gotten worse."

Dewhurst said despite the situation with the statewide declaration, Texas officials were working with Federal Emergency Management Agency to get disaster declarations for specific counties, including Bastrop.

At more than 34,000 acres, the Bastrop County Complex fire near Austin is the largest burning in the state. It has turned parts of the county into a nearly post-apocalyptic scene.

"Utility poles are still burning, stumps are still burning, wire is hanging through the air with only half a pole, swinging. Lines are on the ground," said Mark Rose, general manager and CEO of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
The fire was an estimated 30 percent contained Friday. Dewhurst said firefighters had been able to stop its forward progress, but Bastrop emergency management coordinator Mike Fisher said fires and hot spots are scattered throughout the county.

Elsewhere in the state, the forest service said a fire that may have burned up to 40,000 acres in Cass County was continuing to spread. The Bear Creek Fire had destroyed eight homes and was being battled by everything from ground crews to heavy airtankers, the forest service said.

And another major fire near Houston was 60 percent contained, the forest service said Friday. The Riley Road fire had affected 15,000 acres in Grimes, Montgomery and Waller counties and was moving to the southwest through Waller, the forest service reported.

The Texas Forest Service said it had responded to 186 fires covering 156,517 acres in the last week. Nineteen new fires broke out Thursday, the agency said, most of them small ones.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2011/09/fires-heading-toward-harris-county.html?ana=twt
Fires heading toward Harris County
September 9, 2011

The runaway fire that has burned 12,600 acres north of Houston, and is only 50 percent contained as of late Thursday, is nearing Harris County.

The fire, which started Monday, has already consumed thousands of acres in Montgomery, Grimes and Waller counties. The fire’s edge is on the Waller-Harris county line, the Houston Chronicle reported.
 ::snipping2::
(Interactive map at link in article)

[MuffyBee]

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


RepLloydDoggett Lloyd Doggett
I'm happy to report Pres Obama just signed major disaster declaration that will mean ind assistance to families in Bastrop #centraltxfires
7 hours ago
Texas Storm Chasers
txstormchasers Texas Storm Chasers
President Obama has signed a Federal Declaration of Disaster for Texas, allowing for more resources. #txfire #centraltxfires
7 hours ago
D/FW Police Scanner
DFWscanner D/FW Police Scanner
President Obama has signed Texas' Disaster Declaration. Now government aid will be supplied to those who need it! #txfire #centraltxfires
7 hours ago

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/social-media-help-spread-fire-info-but-its-1833823.html
Social media help spread fire info, but it's not always accurate
September 9, 2011

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-humane-society-working-to-care-for-find-1833787.html
Austin Humane Society working to care for, find owners of pets separated by wildfires
September 9, 2011

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/what-does-containment-mean%3F
What does 'containment' mean?
September 10, 2011

 ::snipping2::
TFS said few wildfires are ever actually "put out." In most cases, firefighters work to build containment lines around the fire and strengthen those lines to make them secure. The focus is to keep the fire from escaping containment. Sometimes the lines are made by one or more bulldozers. Sometimes a road, river or other secure, defensible barrier is used, but, the goal is always to keep the fire from escaping and growing larger. In most cases, wildfire burning within containment lines has little to no impact on local communities, so the fire is considered to be “contained” based on the percentage of the perimeter that has secure lines.

In the case of the Bastrop Fire, there are hundreds, even thousands, of homes within the perimeter lines of the fire. Firefighters are not simply attempting to keep the fire within the containment lines. An equally important goal is to protect those homes that have survived the fire and are located within the fire perimeter. Because they are located in close proximity to active fire and because of the historic dry conditions and abundance of unburned fuel, these homes are still seriously at risk.

“Fighting the Bastrop Fire is extremely complicated," said Tony Wilder, incident commander for the Southern Area Red team. "Because there are many homes at risk within the perimeter of the fire, we have to divide our attention between securing the perimeter and protecting homes that are still at risk. This takes a lot of time and work. There has been much progress made, as evidenced by the areas that have been opened for reentry. On this fire, progress must be recognized as more than ‘percent contained’. We have to look at all the areas that have been made safe by firefighters, as well as containment. We simply haven’t had a measure for expressing how much progress we’ve made.”

Citizens are reminded there will be hazards in local communities as a result of the Bastrop Fire for weeks, even months. In many cases, the root systems of trees are compromised, and the trees could blow over in even a light wind. As the trees die, needles leaves and branches will fall to the ground, creating a new fuel base. Fire that has smoldered unseen can ignite bringing fire back into the area and threatening homes again.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/wildfires-burn-across-central-texas/220696/#220689
Wildfires burn across Central Texas
Thursday, September 8, 2011 (updated on 9/10/2011 at 1:06 p.m.)
(527 photos)

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2011/09/10/bastrop_fire_40_percent_contai.html
Bastrop fire 40 percent contained; second fire victim identified
September 10, 2011

BASTROP COUNTY — Seven days after it sparked, the largest wildfire in Bastrop County is 40 percent contained, authorities announced this afternoon.

Two people died in the blaze, including Michael Troy Farr, a 48-year-old City of Austin employee who was found Tuesday at his home on Hudson Drive near Smithville.

Today, officials released the name of the second victim — 58-year-old Vickie Faye Keenan.

Bastrop County Sheriff Terry Pickering said Keenan was found Tuesday in the doorway of a metal shed at 253 Ponderosa Loop in Paige, near where the fire started.

Keenan, a retired administrative assistant, was staying with a friend at the Circle D residence, Pickering said. He said he didn’t know for how long or why she was staying there. He also said he didn’t know where she’s from.

Pickering said she likely died of smoke inhalation.

The fire has consumed about 34,000 acres, said authorities, who also confirmed that residences at an additional 122 addresses were destroyed by the fire, bringing the total number of known burned residences to 622.

Officials have estimated that about 1,400 homes were destroyed in the blaze.

“If your house is not posted on the list, it doesn’t mean it’s not destroyed,” Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald cautioned.

Texas 71 reopened this morning, and all residents who were displaced by the Union Chapel fire have been allowed to return to their homes.
 ::snipping2::
President Barack Obama late Friday issued a major disaster declaration, allowing for a significant infusion of federal aid into the area affected by wildfires that started on Aug. 30 or later, according to the White House.
More...