Rodolfo Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman via AP Siblings Andrew Wareham, 9, and Katherine Wareham, 10, wait in the family truck with their dog Cinnamon, before evacuation Wednesday from the Hidden Pines Fire near Smithville, Texas.
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They say not only are emergency crews more experienced in fighting wildfires, county officials also have undertaken a massive project to rid the region of dead branches and other combustible vegetative debris that fuels such fires. “We’re going to do our best to get as much containment on the wildfire as we can tonight so that tomorrow that fire is not threatening homes and other structures”.
The fire near the rural ranching town of Smithville was 15 percent contained, but state officials warned residents that it could expand. Residents whose houses narrowly escaped destruction in 2011 pleaded with police at barricades for information about their homes’ fates this time, but sulked back to their cars with no answers.
“As severe wildfires continue to impact Bastrop County, I strongly urge Texans in that area to take all possible precautions to ensure their safety”, said Governor Abbott in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas. He said the fire also destroyed his brother’s house nearby.
Since the fires started, homeowner David Birch said he can’t get the smell of smoke out of his head.
Southlake Deputy Chief Wade Carroll said two firefighters and one brush truck were dispatched to Central Texas but were rerouted to Quinlan in the southern part of Hunt County, shortly after 4 p.m.to work a fireline Thursday, he said. “We are officially reporting nine homes destroyed”, said spokesperson Jessica Jackson. She said the media reported numbers are likely to be accurate. And according to the National Weather Service, dry conditions conducive to the spread of wildfires will last through the weekend. The Forest Service had estimated 50 percent containment earlier Wednesday. Gov. Greg Abbott visited Buescher State Park this morning and, after being briefed by fire officials, declared a state of disaster for Bastrop County. Mabry’s initial thought about the fire was “here we go again”.
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The aircraft, coming from the West Coast, is expected to be available Friday.
