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Bastrop County Texas

September 7, 2011 by · Comments Off on Bastrop County Texas 

Bastrop County TexasBastrop County Texas, The most destructive wildfires in the record in Texas showed no signs of slowing down Monday, destroying 25,000 hectares in Bastrop County and more houses than any other single wildfire, according to the Texas Forest Service.

With more than 60 fires burning in the new state, including one that burned more than 210 acres in Stone Oak, Gov. Rick Perry left the presidential campaign in South Carolina Monday to face the public and organizing applications for more federal aid.

Fires have destroyed more than 1,000 homes, more than all the other fires this year combines have been destroyed, officials said.

Local authorities blamed sparks fire truck from San Antonio Water System that accidentally caught fire in the Stone Oak fire, which burned over 210 acres in northern Bexar County.

The fire started around 1:30 pm in a field of Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road and spread quickly, prompting evacuations in the Abbey Stone Oak Apartments and the states in Canyon Ridge Apartments, according with the Fire Department and Red Cross.

The fire was contained by 5 pm, and no one was injured, Fire Chief Charles Hood said. The evacuated residents were allowed to return home at 10 pm only one house was reported damaged.

On Monday night, San Antonio and other area fire departments helped fought a grass fire that burned in Selma about 200 acres near the former Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. The fire, which began around 7:30 pm, the burned area, Selma Fire Chief Ric Braun called “a large arsenal of dry vegetation fire risk -.”

The fire is near a large apartment complex and a voluntary evacuation was ordered, but firefighters were able to extinguish the fire about an hour and a half later, and no one was injured, said Braun.

No injuries have been reported in Central Texas fire either, but two people died in a fire on East Texas on Monday. A woman and her 18-month-old died when a fast-moving fire near Gladewater set their mobile home on fire and could not escape.

Williamson County, 500 people were evacuated and at least eight houses were destroyed by a 300-acre fire that began around 4:40 pm at the Leander, authorities said.

The Bastrop County Fire complex, driven by strong winds and fueled by dry grass, shrubs and trees increasingly moved south on Monday and extended throughout the day. It jumped twice the Colorado River.

“We will work day after day,” said Mike Fisher, coordinator of the Bastrop County Emergency Management. “The fire is so dynamic that really have no idea where he is.”

Perry said the fire is “like saying you want,” as he has seen.

Perry left his presidential campaign on Monday in South Carolina to return to Texas and deal with fires. He told a news conference that the fires have claimed 3.5 million acres in Texas since December.

He said FEMA is likely to come on Wednesday and Texas seeking federal disaster relief. He also said the authorities were considering the pursuit of military resources at Fort Hood.

The Republican candidate said it was too early to know if you will miss Wednesday’s debate the Republican Party in California. He added that “not paying attention to politics right now. Life of people is at stake.”

The worst drought in one year on record in Texas has left the magazine in a vulnerable state. Perry asked all Texans to be careful and be aware that any spark could start a fire and endangering life and property of others.

Perry urged those facing a fire to follow evacuation orders because their life is not worth the risk.

Bastrop cause of the fire, which destroyed about 500 houses, is under investigation but is believed to have started in the north of the subdivision of the city. Mandatory evacuations were in effect for several quarters Monday night.

From a gas station in Texas 21, Christopher Humphrey saw black plumes blew into a wall of 1000 meters of gray smoke that now is the backdrop of the city and its surroundings.

“Black smoke means a house or a car just went up,” said Humphrey, who used to be a volunteer firefighter.

Living in Cedar Creek, 15 miles southwest of where the fire began to Bastrop, he thought it would be safe and spent Sunday night watching the occasional smoke and flames leap above the horizon trees.

But at lunchtime Monday, a sheriff’s deputy went to knock on their door, telling her she had an hour to evacuate.

Humphrey took some clothes and loaded his old father, his two daughters, two dogs, three horses and a cat in two trucks and a horse trailer. His horse trailer has two seats so had to take his third horse on a track.

Except for the two trucks that he and his father to evacuate, said everything he has is in her mobile home.

He was not alone. As of Monday evening, 13 subdivisions have been evacuated and cutting power to homes in 3800, according to Bastrop County officials.

Authorities could not say when the fires will be included or when residents could return to their homes. Even if they lose their homes, many residents could have power for a time, county officials said. Residents said they were willing to stay for several days at least.

The Bastrop Fire Station, the teams were recovering exhausted, while others were waiting. More than 250 firefighters from across the country have come to Bastrop to help, and more are coming, the Forest Service said.

Outside the small fire station hung a homemade sign to a monument, a word about him: “Pray.”

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