Texas wild fires

[baleflipper]

As I type this several thousand acres of Bastrop county are on fire. The fire seems to have started on the North side of Bastrop state park. The State Park is full of huge Pine trees. The fire has burned across high way 71 East to Smithville and burned several hundred homes in subdivisions along the colorado. The wind has carried the fire across the river heading south. It has crossed the river a second time due to the river making a U. The fires are worse in the subdivisions as the places that had cattle grazing have no small fuel left.The mesquites and post oaks dont burn as easy as the pines.

It strikes me as strange that there are several sites burning many miles apart. There is one north west of Austin in a subdivision up on the lake,50 homes so far have burned there.There was a fire East of Dallas that I know little of. There are 2 fires burning south of here in Caldwell county. I have only seen a small amount of information on them.

My pastures are bare Cows might have to breathe a little smoke but I feel they are in no major danger.
A good soaking rain would be welcome.

 

[TexasBred]

I've read of a couple of fires recently that were started by folks returning from a day on the lake or other outing and pulling a smoker behind the truck with a bed of hot coals still in the woodbox. One guy was caught and arrested for "stupidity" and the other got away. Outside of Gatesville last week they had several burning on one road all started this way. Not intentional.....just stupid. :!: :!: :!:

 

[1982vett]

Saw the Bastrop plume of smoke from Taylor yesterday afternoon......40+ miles away and it was massive....

Had a fire north of us Sunday that smoked us out for several hours....I think that on was around Cameron, about 30 miles away.

 

[bigbull338]

the sad thing is its going to take alot of luck an help from the good lord to put those fires out.an alot of folks will be burned out before its over.

 

[backhoeboogie]

We've been darn lucky, locally. The PK lake area is out of hand yet again.

Those brown cear trees will literally flash if a spark hits them. That puts me on edge.

 

[novatech]

I heard on the radio that over 3 million acres have burned in Texas since last December.
My son just called from Austin and says they have just received notice from the sheriffs dept. to prepare for evacuation just in case they cannot control it.

 

[kenny thomas]

Put my name on the list today to come help. Did not get an answer yet.

 

[Brute 23]

They showed a map of all the fires burning in Texas the past couple of days... It was shocking.

We have two or three different spots around here where there a several spots burned off the highway. A lot if times people have tow chains or some thing dragging and they light several fires as they go down the road.

 

[pdfangus]

I do feel so bad that there is so much hardship in so many forms down there.

Yall just can't seem to catch a break at all.

the remnants of Lee are rolling thru here and the weather folks are talking about flooding. We have had three or four inches since Monday evening. they say the mountains have been well washed and that water is coming down river to us.

yall try to be safe and we hope you all get thru it unscathed.

 

[chippie]

It is horrible.

This is a map of the current fire activity in Texas.

http://ticc.tamu.edu/response/fireactivity/default.aspx

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

My heart goes out to you, going through this! We pray for you. That's about all we can do from PacNW. Kenny Thomas is waiting for a response from Virginia. Kenny, if you have time/means to go, God bless your generous heart!! Let us know . . . . .

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

It is horrible.

This is a map of the current fire activity in Texas.

http://ticc.tamu.edu/response/fireactivity/default.aspx

Oh, Lord, what a mess! Are you okay! :heart:

 

[Caustic Burno]

I heard on the radio that over 3 million acres have burned in Texas since last December.
My son just called from Austin and says they have just received notice from the sheriffs dept. to prepare for evacuation just in case they cannot control it.

You can not drive any distance around here with out seeing forest fire damage. We have caught a small break recently ,it won't last. I have a lake in a hay field the helicopters dang near sucked dry a month ago to fight a fire to the west of me. If we have been lucky is our fires have been in less populated area's. People have still lost everything just not on the scale of Bastrop County. The Forest Service has done an amazing job :tiphat: What scares me to death is some idiot (we have a lot) is going to flip a cigarette out a window at the right time and burn this whole country down. These pine plantations are like gasoline when they catch.

 

[novatech]

I heard about a gut that lost most of what he had with Rita. He moved to Bastrop and just lost the rest. Him and his wife are now in a shelter. I sure don't have to look very far to see how realy good I have it.

 

[chrisy]

lets hope it rains soon....take care everyone I'll be praying for you...stay safe..and God Bless.

 

[peg4x4]

I still can't figgure out how to post pictures--if y'all will look up The Bastrop Advertiser,The Elgin Courier or www.statesman.com there are many pictures of the devastation.
I personally am all right,the wind was blowing away from me. But it was only a mile away at one point..looking out/up and seeing the smoke riseing so high and the flames shooting 200/500 feet up was really frightening. I have the catcarriers on the porch and a bugout bag packed.. Sure would hate to try to outrun a 40 mph fire on a 4mph powerchair..

 

[kenny thomas]

My heart goes out to you, going through this! We pray for you. That's about all we can do from PacNW. Kenny Thomas is waiting for a response from Virginia. Kenny, if you have time/means to go, God bless your generous heart!! Let us know . . . . .

Katie, don't give me too much credit. This is what I do for a living. Been doing it for 38 years.
Seems weird I see the TX gov. on TV asking for any help but then we have people and equipment just sitting and waiting. Don't know what the planning is in between.

 

[bigbull338]

kenny ive got a friend thats ran dozers for over 50yrs.an he says if they would give him 2 dozers he would get another operrator an they could put the fires out pretty quick.

 

[TexasBred]

kenny ive got a friend thats ran dozers for over 50yrs.an he says if they would give him 2 dozers he would get another operrator an they could put the fires out pretty quick.

The fire in Bastrop Co. has jumped the Colorado River twice. Can't see a dozer stopping it in 20-25 mph winds. Lots of pine trees burning and those things are like bombs going off when the fire gets into them.

 

[peg4x4]

Pine trees,cedar trees and propane tanks exploding--cars burning and gas tanks going off.. 40mph winds.. no rain since Jan. Texas is burning and we're running out of water. :hide: