BASTROP, Texas — Officials evacuated nearby residents in Bastrop County as first responders worked to get a large wildfire under control Tuesday night. Crews worked throughout the night to continue to create a containment line and patrol nearby homes for any threats.
According to the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management, the wildfire started at 100 Park Road 1A in Bastrop, just north of SH 71 and south of SH 21.
Officials are providing updates below and asked the following residents to evacuate:
- Update at 8 a.m. Wednesday: The acreage of the fire has been increased to 783 acres and the containment to 30%. Fireline leadership reported good progress made overnight with both the containment line and patrol and mop up operations. High overnight humidity and low winds will allow firefighters to continue those operations. Highway 21 and all areas currently under evacuation remain closed. Electric and fire crews are working to mitigate safety concerns before those evacuations can be lifted. The shelter in Elgin remains open to evacuated residents in need of food and shelter.
- Update at 9:30 p.m.: Pine Hill Drive subdivision, Pine Tree Loop, Lisa, Linda, Porter Road, KC Drive will remain evacuated until at least midday Wednesday. Bluebonnet Coop has turned all of the power off and cannot check for damage until daylight. Heavy smoke has created blackout conditions and fire trucks are patrolling. The smoke has made searching for hidden fires difficult. ESD#2 officials and County OEM officials will decide Wednesday morning when residents can return.
- Update at 8:45 p.m.: Pine Tree Loop is being patrolled with crews looking for spot outs and fire potentially reaching around homes.
- Update at 8:15 p.m.: Residents living on East and West Kelley Road and north to FM 1441 may return to their homes, per BCOEM. Residents are asked to drive carefully and beware of smoke in the area. Entrance to the area will be via FM 1441. Containment lines are still being constructed with patrols ongoing in evacuated areas to detect containment issues with more resources ordered for tonight and tomorrow.
- Update at 7:35 p.m.: The fire is currently being held south and east of Powerline Road. No fire has entered Circle D Estates. Engines and bull dozers are continuing to work on increasing containment. Local officials with the Bastrop Office of Emergency Management are working on decreasing the area under evacuation.
- Update at 7 p.m.: The fire west of Highway 21 is being managed. No homes lost at this time. Fire is still running wild east of Highway 21. The Pine Hill Drive subdivision is the next concern. Multiple apparatus are in place to monitor and prevent home loss.
- Update at 5:29 p.m.: Bluebonnet, Sage, Buckhorn and other associated streets are being evacuated by sheriff’s deputies.
- Update at 5:18 p.m.: Fire has crossed Highway 21 and moving north through the neighborhood. Evacuating homes between Boy Scout Camp and FM 1441 at Highway 21.
- Update 4:15 p.m.: Bastrop County OEM said the fire was burning along Power Plant Road toward Lake Bastrop North Shore, which is north of SH 21.
- Update at 3:20 p.m.: Residents along Pine Tree Loop, Linda Lane and Lisa Lane.
- Update at 2:55 p.m.: Residents at Pine Hill Estates including Pine Hill Drive and roads in between.
Bastrop ISD said secondary students who live in the evacuation zone could stay at school so parents can pick them up. The buses impacted included 104 (BHS), 121 (BIS/BMS/BHS), 125 (BIS/BMS/BHS), 321 (BHS), 342 (BHS) and 303 (BIS/BMS). Any bus students who live in the evacuation area were returned to school at the end of the route.
PHOTOS: Rolling Pines Fire Bastrop
Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Bastrop County OEM said fire behavior had greatly reduced, allowing firefighters to use direct attack tactics to create a containment line. No fire has been reported within Circle D or Pine Hill Estates.
Officials said aircraft were making water and retardant drops to help slow the spread of the fire and assist in protecting structures in the area.
Some road closures have been implemented at SH 21 at the south shore of Lake Bastrop and E. SH 21 at FM 1441. Officials said Wednesday morning that thick smoke limiting visibility will also continue to be a safety factor for drivers.
The Texas A&M Forest Service (TAMFS) said it responded to a request for assistance with the fire, which the forest service estimated had consumed at least 500 acres and was 10% contained as of Tuesday night. As of Tuesday night, the fire had burned through at least 630 acres.
On Wednesday morning, officials increased the acreage of the fire to 783 and said it was 30% contained as of 8 a.m.
TAMFS is responding with fire engines, heavy equipment, aviation and support personnel. TAMFS activated three Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System strike teams, including approximately 75 firefighters.
An Emergency Medical Task Force Wildland Support Package is also responding to provide medical needs. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is responding with personnel support on the scene, and the Texas Military Department deployed a UH60 helicopter with a fire suppression water bucket and has additional aircraft on standby.
The Winchester Fire Department also has three units and six crew members already on scene assisting. The department sent two brush trucks and a tanker/tender. Meanwhile, Lee County has four departments on the scene as well, and the Austin Fire Department also deployed nine members to assist.
The Elgin Recreational Center is being used as a shelter for evacuees. The Bastrop Senior Center has been made available for first responders to rest, eat and shower. Additionally, the Bastrop Area Livestock Show Barn and Bastrop Rodeo Arena are open for the evacuation of livestock. Officials ask residents to call Junior Tucker at 512-653-8903 or Hillary Long at 512-657-7056 before hauling their animals.
Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said that about 250 families were asked to evacuate as a precaution as some homes had power shut off to prevent further fire issues.
BCOEM confirmed the wildfire started in relation to a prescribed burn at Bastrop State Park. The burn was set to be conducted Tuesday, Jan. 18, and possibly the next day as well. Park Road 1C from Harmon Road to Park Road 1A was closed for the prescribed burn.
Pape told KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman that the prescribed burn broke the lines and ignited new fires as winds picked up.
"The winds were just stronger than anyone anticipated," he told the Statesman.
Rich Gray with the Texas A&M Forest Service said about 200 personnel members were on scene and that more were inbound from around the state Tuesday evening.
Three subdivisions that are made up of about 100 homes were threatened by the fire Tuesday, Gray said, but there has been no verified information that any homes or structures had burned as of Tuesday evening. He credited the effort of the firefighters in helping prevent the destruction of homes so far. On Wednesday morning, Bastrop Mayor Connie Schroeder told KVUE that no "occupied structures" were lost overnight.
The forest service said Tuesday presented an increased danger for wildfires due to warm, dry and windy conditions on the forecast. Since Friday, the forest service reports the department, along with local fire departments, have responded to 97 wildfires that burned 7,460 acres of land around the state. Strong north winds and dry vegetation contributed to increased wildfire activity over the weekend, the forest service said.
Bastrop, Fayette and Lee counties do not currently have burn bans in place.
Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said a prescribed fire specialist at the original burn site noticed spotting outside the burn boundaries caused by embers, which is initially thought the be the cause. However, Smith said further investigation into the cause will continue after the flames are put out.
When asked about the Forest Service warning about increased fire chances, Smith said that each prescribed fire is handled under a plan developed for the specific burn and that, at this time, the person or group responsible for the prescribed burn believed it was OK to move forward.
"At this juncture, it is my understanding that we were well within the prescription of the weather parameters that were called for within the plan and so our team felt that it was safe to proceed. And that’s all I know at this juncture," Carter said.
Pape later added that prescribed burns by the TPWD are "very important" to protect the forest in the county along with homes and families in the area, to prevent bigger wildfires like the devastating incident back in 2011.
Bluebonnet Coop said Tuesday it was "de-energizing power lines for the safety of emergency crews and residents near the fire in Bastrop County, east of Bastrop State Park along Texas Highway 21." The coop said it de-energized lines serving around 348 members in the area.
A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is also in place for the area over the fire. As a reminder, flying recreational drones is not safe for crews working in the area.
Bastrop County has been home to a number of extreme fires over the past decade.
The Bastrop Complex fire of September 2011 at the time was the most destructive wildfire in state history. It burned through around 34,000 acres and destroyed approximately 1,700 homes and businesses. Two people died as a result of the fire.
The Hidden Pines Fire then occurred a few years later in October 2015. About 4,600 acres were burned and 64 structures were destroyed.
Gray added that the ongoing fire is "much more subdued" than the fire of 2011, but that it is still a serious burn.
Gov. Greg Abbott released the following statement Tuesday evening:
“The State of Texas has deployed numerous resources to assist local officials as they combat the Rolling Pines Fire in Bastrop County. Texas A&M Forest Service has deployed three Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System strike teams which include approximately 75 firefighters. Texas A&M Forest Service assets include more than 15 personnel, four dozers, one engine, aircraft including attack aerial supervision aircrafts, and two large air tankers to assist with fire retardant drops. In addition, an Emergency Medical Task Force (EMTF) Wildland Support Package is responding to assist in meeting any medical needs, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management is responding with personnel support on scene. The Texas Military Department has deployed a UH60 helicopter with a fire suppression water bucket and has additional aircraft on standby. We will continue to monitor the situation in Bastrop County and are ready to deploy additional state resources as needed to contain this wildfire and keep Texans safe."
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