Approximately 2,000 acres have burned as a pair of fires swept through the Texas Hill Country this week. Thankfully, as of Friday morning, officials report that the infernos are mostly contained. The first blaze, dubbed the Smith-West fire, started in Blanco County about 45 miles northwest of the state capital on July 17. It headed north and soon spread into Llano County near Horseshoe Bay, crossing RR 962 and burning almost 700 acres. The second blaze began on Wednesday, July 18, in Llano County about ten miles from the original fire. It consumed an estimated 1,200, and as of Friday morning, the forest service indicated it to be 60 percent contained. This second brush fire was called CR 308 due to the location where it began.
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Twin Infernos Blaze Through the Texas Hill Country: The Latest on the Sweeping Wildfires
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Photo: Pixabay.com
According to the Llano Emergency Management Facebook page, no buildings have been destroyed and, thankfully, no lives have been lost. All of Texas is relieved these fires haven’t resulted in such tragic loss of life as the 2017 blaze in Gray County.
Firefighters have been battling the infernos with everything they’ve got, including air operations featuring fixed wing and rotary aircraft. They’ve requested that no drone flights be conducted within a five-mile radius of the fires. Firefighting efforts have been so intensive, they’ve caused officials to make an emergency request of their own to the public. Due to a gasoline delivery not arriving on time, the Llano County Office of Emergency Management requested that citizens please donate 500 gallons of gasoline in five-gallon containers for the fire crews to use on Thursday, July 19, to fuel their vehicles.
Photo: Facebook: Magnolia Relief
As for what sparked the inferno in the first place, it’s believed that a human cause is likely. No lightning had been reported nearby. The smallest spark in such a brushy area can start a wildfire that has the potential to claim lives and destroy homes.
Containment efforts appear to be succeeding, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted if the situation changes.
