BASTROP, Texas — A prescribed burn got out of hand Tuesday afternoon, setting off a wildfire that burned through several hundred acres in the Bastrop, Texas, area.
Despite some warning signs, including notable wind speeds, the prescribed burn was permitted as planned. But just how fast were the winds going?
Here's a timeline:
- 8:08 a.m. - 2 mph sustained, 5 mph gusts
- 10:08 a.m. - 11 mph sustained, 17 mph gusts
- 11:08 a.m. - 15 mph sustained, 23 mph gusts
- 12:08 a.m. - 16 mph sustained, 25 mph gusts
- 1:08 a.m. - 13 mph sustained, 23 mph gusts
- 3:08 a.m. - 13 mph sustained, 24 mph gusts
- 4:08 a.m. - 13 mph sustained, 20 mph gusts
For context, here's a timeline of Tuesday's events:
- 8:30 a.m. - The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management posted on Facebook that the prescribed burn would begin between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wind gusts were going at around 5 mph at 8:08 p.m.
- 12:15 p.m. - The Texas A&M Forestry Service posted about increased wildfire danger conditions. Around this time, 25 mph wind gusts were recorded
- 1:59 p.m. - The Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management posted a wildfire alert and began evacuations. At 1:08 p.m., wind gusts were recorded at 23 mph
- 3:20 p.m. - The fire grew to 300 acres with 24 mph wind gusts
- 4:30 p.m. - The fire grew to 630 acres with 20 mph wind gusts
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: