I've had so many people GOOGLE Texas Fires yesterday and then be sent to my blog that I feel like I should write another blog updating again today!! The best place to get up to date info on all of the fires in Texas is at the Texas Forest Service Wildfire Site
Texas Forest Service Wildfire Link
The fire in Bastrop: Has currently burned over 34,000 acres and is only 30% contained, and has burned over 1,386 homes. If all of those homes just for math's sake had a family of 3...that would be 4,158 homeless. The number will be a little smaller, but that's A LOT of people who need help!!
I just can't fathom a fire this big....I feel so bad for the residents there
Governor Perry speaking with some of the fire victims
This just brings tears to my eyes for this family who has small children and who has now lost everything :(
I just can't fathom a fire this big....I feel so bad for the residents there
Governor Perry speaking with some of the fire victims
This just brings tears to my eyes for this family who has small children and who has now lost everything :(
This article is from NPR
Hillary Polly looks through the family belongings as Thomas Polly tries to pry open a fireproof gun safe with his father Louie Polly in the background amongst the rubble of their burned house near Bastrop, Texas.
Hillary Polly looks through the family belongings as Thomas Polly tries to pry open a fireproof gun safe with his father Louie Polly in the background amongst the rubble of their burned house near Bastrop, Texas.
Texas authorities said today that the wildfires that began Sunday in Bastrop have destroyed 1,386 homes. The Austin American Statesman reports that officials came to that number by going "house by house and driveway by driveway."
NPR member station KUT reports the wildfire in Bastrop County is still raging. The Texas Forest Service told them that fire is 30 percent contained.
Other parts of Texas are facing the same predicament. The Houston Chronicle reports that fires have forced the evacuation of thousands and destroyed dozens of homes in the Houston suburbs. There are two main fires, the paper reports: One in Montgomery County, which is mostly contained, and a new "hot spot" in Waller County, which firefighters lost of control of last night.
The Chronicle sets the scene:
Dozens of residents gathered with their cameras to watch the black smoke boiling into the clouds by the blockade on FM 1488 near the entrance to Remington Forest.Diana Ballard, a jewelry distributor standing at the blockade, saw videos showing her home in Remington burned to the ground. But she is waiting there to see it for herself....As she fled her home, the last thing Ballard remembers seeing were flames 50 feet high in her neighbor's yard. She was ordered to evacuate so quickly that she was unable to catch two of her frightened cats, though she was able to take her four greyhounds, three parrots and one other cat with her."I left the door open, but I'm worried about what happened to the other two," Ballard said.
The Texas Forest Service has a map on its website that shows you just how widespread the fires are. You can see that they spread from the East Texas border with Louisiana, across the Dallas suburbs and into the Texas Hill Country.
The Dallas Morning News says about 180 wildfires are burning across the state.
There are several sites on Facebook to check on the status of what's going on in Bastrop, just put these into your search bar for the links:
Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management
Convoy to Smithville Texas to Help Central Texas Families
Here's an article from the Jacksonville Daily Progress:
JACKSONVILLE — Firefighters spent another hectic day Wednesday trying to quell a four-day fire that forced evacuations in southern Cherokee County while trying to cope with a late afternoon fire near Troup and smaller fires near Reklaw and another in the southwest of Rusk.
The fire between Atoy community and Angelina River started on Sunday, officials said, and while it had been contained on the Nacogdoches County side, firefighters were still battling several fires in Cherokee County along the Angelina River bank.
“It's gone back and forth across the river probably a dozen times,” Cherokee County Sheriff James Campbell said. "The river is fairly narrow, a lot of vegetation and trees on both sides and so actually many, many times it has jumped back and forth.”
Campbell said as of Tuesday afternoon the fire had destroyed 2,700 acres of land. He estimated that between 400 and 600 additional acres were burning Wednesday. More up-to-date numbers could not be obtained because the Texas Forest Service was kept busy with blazes Wednesday, he said.
Nearby, one abandoned home was lost near Reklaw when a blaze broke out midday Wednesday, Reklaw Volunterr Fire Department Chief Francisco Hernandez said.
Near Troup, four homes were threatened by the wildfire that started along Highway 135 near County Road 4921.
Area resident Michael Brown said he helped a woman evacuate from her home because the fire was near her backyard.
“The flames were 10 feet high,” Brown said.
Seven fire departments — Troup, New Summerfield, Lake Palestine, Whitehouse, Jacksonville, North Cherokee and Earle's Chapel — and the Texas Forest Service were battling the blaze.
The wind changed direction five times, causing the direction of the fire to change, compounding the problem, North Cherokee Volunteer Fire Department Chief Danny Rozell said.
As of press time Wednesday, no homes had been lost in that fire.
Southwest of Rusk, three firefighters and one tanker truck were all that could be spared to fight because most of their resources were helping at the Angelina River fire.
A hunting lease started burning three weeks ago because of lightning, officials said, adding several rekindles have been extinguished. He said it was a second priority to one that put homes in danger.
Earlier Wednesday, Bullard Volunteer Fire Chief Keith Newburn said the fire near Bullard was contained at about 11 p.m. Tuesday.
“Right now, we are confident in our lines, but because of all the extreme fire behavior we have been having recently, we are going to continue to patrol it for three or four days,” he said.
Newburn said 12 homes were saved that were in immediate danger and another 20 homes were in danger of being exposed, but the firefighters were able to keep the blaze contained away from them. Kiepersol Estates Winery, a cemetary and Faith Missionary Church were saved.
East Texas Fire Info
and there are several shelters opened up near Marion/Cass County as well that need donations and workers desperately!!
There are several Facebook pages set up for info on all the animals displace by fires as well
Horse Evacuations East
Bastrop Co Fire Large Animal Info
Assistance Information for Animals Displace by Wildfires
Sending out a big
THANK YOU
to those
FIREFIGHTERS
who are working so tirelessly
to save homes and land.
GOD BLESS YOU
AND
PROTECT YOU!!
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