Texas Wildfires and Drought

[Srain]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

FIRE WARNING

TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TEXAS

RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX

416 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE BASTROP

COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.

A NEW MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PEOPLE IN

THE FOLLOWING RESIDENCES NEAR THE WILDFIRE EAST OF BASTROP IN

BASTROP COUNTY...

ALL RESIDENTS NEAR BASTROP STATE PARK AND BUESCHER STATE PARK

EXTENDING ALL THE WAY TO FM ROAD 2104. THIS AREA INCLUDES THE

RESIDENCES ALONG GOTIER TRACE ROAD...ANTIOCH ROAD...AND OLD POTATO

ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN DANGER AND CANNOT EVACUATE FROM THESE AREAS...PLEASE

CALL 911.

A MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT DUE TO ONGOING

WILDFIRES FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS FROM THE FIRE

LOCATED IN THE CEDAR CREEK AREA...

ALL RESIDENTS IN THE AREAS BETWEEN HIGHWAY 21 AND FM ROAD 1209...

NEAR LEISURE LANE...AND NEAR AND TO THE SOUTHWEST OF UNION CHAPEL

ROAD.

A MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT DUE TO ONGOING

WILDFIRES FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS FROM THE FIRE EAST

OF BASTROP...

ALL RESIDENTS IN THE TAHITIAN VILLAGE SUBDIVISION...THE COLOVISTA

SUBDIVISION...AND ALL OF THE COLONY...ALL OF CIRCLE D COUNTY ACRES

AREA...ALL OF THE LAKE BASTROP ACRES SUBDIVISION...PINE VIEW

WEST...LAKE BASTROP PINE...ALL OF TAHITIAN VILLAGE...COLOVISTA...ALAN

CREEK...BASTROP STATE PARK...COTTLE TOWN TO THE RIVER...RESIDENTS

ALONG HARMON ROAD AND PINE HILL LOOP...ALL HOMES ON SCHWANTZ RANCH

ROAD...ALL HOMES ON OLD POTATO ROAD...AND ALL HOMES ALONG HIGHWAY

21 EAST EXTENDING TO PAIGE...ALL HOMES FROM 2571 FURR MAYS ROAD

WEST TO HIGHWAY 304 AND FM 2571...RESIDENTS ALONG YOUNG SCHOOL

HOUSE ROAD AND HALL ROAD...EISLEY ROAD...TINER CUTOFF...OAK HILL

CEMETERY ROAD...CRAPE MYRTLE DRIVE...AND HERRON TRAIL...ALL

RESIDENTS IN PINE VALLEY LOOP....LA REATA SUBDIVISION...AND ALL

HOMES ON WILHELM WAY...LEE ROAD...WHITWORTH LANE...AND ON THE

EASTERN SIDE OF WATTERSON ROAD.

[Srain]

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

FIRE WARNING

HOUSTON COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX

358 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE

HOUSTON COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED BY THE HOUSTON COUNTY

JUDGE FOR RESIDENTS ALONG COUNTY ROADS 4505 4529 4520 AND PRIVATE

ROAD 9542 DUE TO A WILDFIRE. RESIDENTS ALONG THESE ROADS SHOULD

EVACUATE THEIR HOMES IMMEDIATELY. A SHELTER HAS BEEN SET UP FOR

DISPLACED RESIDENTS AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CROCKETT. MORE

INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS IT IS RELAYED FROM HOUSTON COUNTY

OFFICIALS.

[#NoPoles]

are all these new fire starting from blowing embers?

[Srain]

are all these new fire starting from blowing embers?

The SE TX area fires are new fires other than Houston County

[Srain]

Visible imagery...

[#NoPoles]

it's so hard to believe all these new fires are popping up, and there is no lightning...i can see blowing embers in the area where there are already fires...but are these new human caused fires? are people that dumb?

[brettjrob]

it's so hard to believe all these new fires are popping up, and there is no lightning...i can see blowing embers in the area where there are already fires...but are these new human caused fires? are people that dumb?

From what I understand, a large majority of the fires we've seen all season long have been human-caused, and people are indeed that dumb.

There's simply no condition we can reach that will stop a certain segment of the population from flicking cig butts and engaging in other mind-boggling behavior. Nature at work; animals playing with fire.

[Srain]

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FIRE WARNING

LOUISIANA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA

RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA

437 PM CDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE

GREGG COUNTY TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY LONGVIEW TEXAS.

A LARGE WILDFIRE IS CURRENTLY BURNING OUT OF CONTROL IN THE

SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF GREGG COUNTY. THE GREGG COUNTY EMERGENCY

MANAGER HAS ISSUED AN EVACUATION ORDER FOR ALL RESIDENTS SOUTH OF

HIGHWAY 80...WEST OF HIGHWAY 42 BETWEEN CAMP SWITCH AND MARY

LAWSON..WITH A SOUTHERN BORDER OF MERRILLS LAKE ROAD. A SHELTER

HAS BEEN SET UP AT MAUD COBB CONVECTION CENTER IN LONGVIEW.

DO NOT DRIVE INTO HEAVY OR DENSE SMOKE...NEVER CROSS ANY

BARRICADED ROADWAYS. MORE INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS

GREGG COUNTY RELAYS IT.

[Srain]

New fires reported S of Canyon Lake and in Ellis County.

[#NoPoles]

DANG!!! Steve and Cory...i hope your family and friends are safe during all this!

[Srain]

Grimes/Montgomery County Fire...

[Srain]

Just had a report from a family member heading back form the San Antonio area. Smoke cutting visibility to near zero around Lulling and Columbus. Had to divert to US 90 due to very heavy congestion on I-10. Traffic crawling on US 90 as well.

[brettjrob]

Aaron Dooley's live stream on SevereStudios practically looks like there's an anvil spread out over the plume: http://www.severestu....dooley&uid=127

[Srain]

Updated visible imagery...new fires near Ft Hood and NW of Austin/SE OK and S AR now detectable...

[Srain]

Texas fire imagery from TCEQ...23Z...

[Cory]

are all these new fire starting from blowing embers?

Oddly enough, the San Antonio fire was started by a San Antonio Water System truck that got stuck in the brush.

[DoctorMu]

It's 87°F with a DP of 31° with N winds at 18 N winds at 18. A jacket and respiratory mask are needed out there, I actually called in some bimbette in a silver Audi in front of me driving down 2818 with a cigarette hanging out the window 1/2 mile from a brush fire that evacuated some homes and closed down Texas Ave. and part of 2818 in CLL I can only hope she never procreates.

[Srain]

E-mail from Jeff:

Fire Emergency declared for Grimes and Montgomery Counties.

Fire Emergency declared for Houston County

Fire Emergency remains in effect for Bastrop County.

Mandatory evacuations ordered for the Lake Holly Hill subdivision. At least 60 homes are threatened and 3 have burned.

Numerous fire departments from as far away as Conroe are responding to this 150 acre fire. TFS has no air support (all aircraft) are currently working other fires in central and NE Texas. Ground crews are trying to keep the fire from jumping 1774,but without air support there is no offensive operations in progress at this time.

Massive pine crown runs are in progress on this fire spreading it rapidly to the south. Spot fires from burning embers are developing downstream fires away from the main fire.

Residents south of FM 1774 should be ready to evacuate.

Massive smoke plume from this fire and numerous other fires N of Houston is overspreading the area at this time.

A full update on all the fires will be sent later this evening.

[Srain]

Sad e-mail from Jeff:

Catastrophic fire weather event continues to unfold across Texas.

Thousands of residents are displaced, hundreds of homes have burned, and over 35,000 acres have burned in the last two days.

Fire fighting capabilities are being depleted, Texas has executed its mutual aid agreement and out of state resources are responding including heavy air tankers, helicopters, and fire strike teams from the western US.

Since Sunday morning: over 550 homes have burned, 35,000 acres burned, 6,500 residents evacuated, 78 major fires have developed (countless other smaller fires, 500 acres or less).

Austin FD is requesting anyone with fire fighting experience to call 512-978-1187, ground resources have been depleted across central Texas.

Bastrop Fire:

Catastrophic fire has now burned 26,000 acres and 476 homes. Hundreds of homes are threatened and 5,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders in 19 subdivisions. Several entire subdivisions along HWY 21 and HWY 71 have burned. HWY 21 and HWY 71 are closed. 50% of Bastrop State Park has burned. Thousands of fire fighters are responding from across the state along with several heavy air tankers from as far away as South Dakota and multiple Blackhawk helicopters. There is great need for animal/livestock transport and housing from this fire, I do not have a contact number for this effort. This fire is 0% contained.

Spicewood Fire:

6,400 acres have burned with 22 homes lost and 64 damaged in 5 subdivisions. Fire extended from Honey Flat on Lake Travis to Dripping Springs. Fire is 80% contained, but continues to flare up on the eastern flank. Grounds crews are holding fire lines.

Steiner Ranch Fire:

Unknown acres burned. 25 homes lost and 20 damaged (preliminary). 300 homes were saved. Unknown containment

Leon County Fire:

3,500 acres burning in tall grass and Cedar trees. 300 residents evacuated to College Station area. 50 homes are threatened and 15 have burned including 1 church. Fire is 10% contained.

Grimes/Montgomery County Fire:

150 acres burning in pine forest. Fire is burning hot and fast toward the south with long crown runs in the tops of Pine trees. 60 homes in the Lake Holly Hills subdivision are threatened (under mandatory evacuations). Shelters are set up at Magnolia High School and the Magnolia Community Center. Fire is 0% contained and there is no air support for this fire. ANYONE WITH TRAILERS OR TRUCKS IN THE MAGNOLIA AREA CAN HELP DAKOTA RESCUE AND COLLIE RESCUE GET OUT? COLLIE RESCUE HAS 27 DOGS IN LINE OF FIRE....NEAR 1774.

Update: Evacuation area being expanded shortly.

All air resources have been depleted.

Houston County Fire:

Fire is burning in Houston County. Mandatory evacuation in effect along CR 4505, 4529, 4520 and PR 9542. A shelter has been set up in Crockett.

Numerous other fires are burning across east and northeast Texas with hundreds of homes being threatened and thousands of acres burning especially around Longview and in Gregg County. There are just too many to go through. You can visit the Texas Forecast Service website for updates on current fires: http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?id=12888

Weather Conditions:

Gusty north winds will weaken overnight, but RH will be very slow to recover. Ongoing fires should slow allowing ground crews to make offensive gains. Winds will pick up again on Tuesday but stay in the 5-15mph range. Fire conditions will remain critical for the rest of the week, although winds will be weaker.

[canderson]

My parents have been evacuated in Gregg County.

[Ed Lizard]

http://ticc.tamu.edu/Documents/Home/tx_sitrep.pdf

[Roy]

How is Cy-fair/Jersey Village. Have relatives in that area. I feel for all those evacuees. Had to do it in spring when all the fires were raging in West Texas. I guess now it's the East Texas turn, but I really fear with all those trees that this could get even worse quickly.

[brettjrob]

The Meers/Cache/Indiahoma fire in SW OK has finally been contained after four days burning out of control, but a shocking 55 sq. mi. of the Wichita Mountains has been charred.

[TXWXCHX]

I'm so sorry to hear of everyone's losses on this thread This last week and a half has been absolutely beastly, but the last few days - with 20 - 30mph winds and 20% and lower humidities - have been a nightmare for firefighters. In Limestone County 4,000 acres and 2 homes burned; Thornton and Groesbeck have been trying to beat down a large fire back in the trees for some three days now. Close by in Freestone County, just 5 miles from my home, 15 houses were burned in Teague and they are still mopping up tonight... and in my own backyard, 450 acres and one barn burned to the ground. I feel like we've been fighting fires non-stop, but feel humbled to know it could have been much much worse.

Leon County is still in the grip of that awful fire tonight and they have lost at least 15 or more homes and they have evacuated homes from Flynn all the way up FM 39 to the Concord Community. The smoke is everywhere and we are on standby for mutual aid to help Leon County firefighters. I still haven't taken off my gear from today, because I'm afraid if I do I'll just get toned-out again.

Maintenance of vehicles and gear is a real challenge. We still have one custom Chevy brush truck still running well, a wonderfully handy engine that just came into service and one old Dodge brush truck that by all accounts should never have been running but still managed to make til this morning when it lost two tires to mesquite thorns. We're having to replace an alternator on the deuce-and-a-half but it's a monster that really came in handy the other day when we had to go down in the creek bottoms where nothing else could go...

Smoke is everywhere, with ash falling intermittently from what looks like a clear blue sky. But off to the horizon, we see the smoke rising on all sides. Lots of smoke calls today from people who simply can't tell if the fire is right next door or in the next county.

The firefighters - volunteer and professional - never give up. Please pray for all of us so we can still keep moving. The work is extremely dangerous, but these are our homes. These are our friends. We can't stop.

Here are some pictures of the Prairie Hill Fire, taken by Mike Thetford, our assistant Emergency Management Coordinator and another by a Misty Robinson, one of our Fire Fighters. That's me in the last frame, watching the fire jump the road...

[LocoAko]

The Meers/Cache/Indiahoma fire in SW OK has finally been contained after four days burning out of control, but a shocking 55 sq. mi. of the Wichita Mountains has been charred.

Ugh, terrible to hear. I remember when I went to the Wichitas, parts of Medicine Park had just recovered from a small fire and the destruction from even that was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Sad.

[Srain]

Afternoon e-mail from Jeff:

Elevated to extreme fire conditions continue across Texas with several large fires remaining active.

1,023 homes have burned in the last 3 days across Texas.

Incredible amount of air support has been brought into action over Texas to battle the unprecedented wildfire threat. This includes: Six heavy air tankers, three 1,500-gallon scoopers, 15 single-engine air tankers, 12 helicopters, and 12 aerial supervision aircraft are in place. Eight National Guard Blackhawk and three Chinook helicopters have been providing critical aerial support. In addition, a 12,000-gallon DC-10 air tanker will be activated Friday morning at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

Weather:

Very dry afternoon RH and gusty winds of 5-15mph continue to result in poor fire weather conditions across the area. Fires have laid down overnight only to flare up each afternoon. Will continue with this pattern into the weekend as now TS Nate in the southern Gulf of Mexico helps draw dry air southward maintaining the fire weather threat. Winds which have turned more NE and E over the last 24 hours will likely back to the N on Thursday as a surge of dry air moves southward. Will continue with afternoon speeds of 10-15mph.

Grimes/Waller County Fire:

Fire has flared up this afternoon requiring new evacuations in Waller County for residents south of FM 1488, from Kickapoo Road south to Joseph Road, and Joseph Road back to FM 1488, needed to evacuate and move south of Joseph Road immediately. Affected areas include Kickapoo Road, Rice Road and Oak Hollow. Also, residents from Hegar Road eastward to the county line need to evacuate to the south. Fire is burning to the SSW in fresh NE winds this afternoon. 7,800 acres has burned with 90-100 homes lost. Numerous agencies continue to respond to this fire. Smoke plume and pyro-cumulus clouds are visible from Houston. Fie is 85% contained. Several fire departments from across the area are working this fire including Cy-Fair, Spring, Conroe, and numerous VFD’s from Waller, Brazos, Grimes, and Montgomery counties. A FEMA Management Assistance Grant was received on this fire.

Fort Bend County:

Fire has started within the last hour near HWY 36 near Needville. Numerous fire departments are responding including Richmond, Needville, Fairchild, Rosenberg, Beasley, and Pecan Grove. Fire is burning southward. Fixed wing aircraft are actively dropping water on this fire. I can see this fire from my house and the smoke column is about 2,000 feet in the air.

Bastrop Fire:

2 fatal. 42,000 acres burned, 758 homes lost, 500 homes threatened. Fire continues to burn southward and eastward but has slowed today and for the first time is 30% contained. Heavy air support from both air tankers and helicopters continue to work this fire along with at least 350 fire fighters. 11 aircraft are working this fire along with at least 14 dozer crews. At least 20 subdivisions are evacuated and 5-6 have burned completely. HWY 71 and Hwy 21 are closed. This is currently the largest fire burning in the state of Texas and is now the most destructive fire ever in TX history. FEMA Grant was received on this fire. 80% of Bastrop State Park has now burned. This fire is 15% contained. The burn area is 24 miles long by 20 miles wide.

Spicewood Fire (Travis County):

6500 acres burned, 67 homes have been lost (22 in one subdivision). The fire has jumped the Pedernales River and continues to burn southward. Numerous evacuations orders are in place. At least 500 homes are threatened. Fire is 80% contained. 17 state agencies are working his fire along with 150 fire fighters. FEMA grant was received.

Steiner Ranch Fire (Travis County):

162 acre, 35 homes burned. 1000 homes threatened. Fire is contained and the evacuation order has been lifted. FEMA Grant was received.

Montgomery County (Tamina Rd):

150 acres burned. 100% contained. 200 homes evacuated, with 400 additional threatened.

Union Chapel Fire (Bastrop County):

920 acres burned. 20% contained. 27 homes burned on the west side of Bastrop. Mandatory evacuations in place for western City of Bastrop. Heavy air support was unable to contain the fire.

Fayette County Fire:

Fire continues to burn near Ruttersville, 2700 acres burned, 7 homes lost (fire is 95% contained).

Houston County:

3,000 acres burning in heavy timber east of I-45. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for CR 4505,4529,4120,4520,8120,4130,4141,4145, PR 9542,8015, and Possum Pass Rd. 90% containment. 15 homes have been lost.

Leon County Fire:

4,000 acres burned near Robbins. 300 homes evacuated, 20 homes were lost. 0% containment.

Walker County Fire:

Fire is burning 1000 acres east of I-45. 90% containment. 30 homes are being evacuated, 5 homes have been lost.

Colorado County Fire:

Fire has burned 3500 acres in mainly grass and shrubs. 8 homes have been lost. Fire is 75% contained.

Caldwell County Fire:

8000 acres have burned. Fire is 60% contained.

Cass County:

30,000 acres burned. Fire is burning in heavy pine plantation. 0% contained

[Ed Lizard]

Waller/Grimes fire looks better on vis than Bastrop. Clearly isible from my house, I was wondering if it was a new fire.

[WishingForWarmWeather]

Heard on the radio a little bit ago that a fire broke out near San Antonio on I-10. They said they were going to go into more specifics, but I got out of the car before they did.

[Ed Lizard]

I think drought relief may be many months away for Texas. The tropics almost certainly won't deliver, ( we are more than halfway into the roughly 40 year average period between October storms, so, as always, I always remain silver lining optimistic) and I suspect another Autumn of mainly dry frontal passages. With wind and low RH for more fires.

[Hoosier]

I think drought relief may be many months away for Texas. The tropics almost certainly won't deliver, ( we are more than halfway into the roughly 40 year average period between October storms, so, as always, I always remain silver lining optimistic) and I suspect another Autumn of mainly dry frontal passages. With wind and low RH for more fires.

Yeah, I'm concerned about the drought continuing for quite some time. I'm no long term specialist by any stretch but with the Nina reestablishing itself and the positive feedback of the drought, it seems like it will be tough to get a break. Here's to a tropical system paying you a visit before the season is over.