- Photograph of firefighters standing near fire lines at night. - Image courtesy of Texas Forest Service
With wildfires raging across 2500 acres of drought-parched fuels near the West Texas town of Snyder, and a 5000 acre fire moving into Big Bend National Park, the last thing Texas needs is more wind. Unfortunately, the Texas Forest Service has warned for days that the forecast for September 30, 2011, calls for hot, dry, unstable conditions creating a critical fire weather situation.
"It is extremely dry today with low relative humidity and 20 to 25 mph winds," according to Marq Webb, Public Information Officer with the Texas Forest Service. "With these weather conditions added to extremely dry fuels, you can expect rapid fire spread today."
And so it begins. At 2 p.m. on September 30, 2011, the Texas Forest Service reported nine new fires started by lightning in the Southeast Texas Fire Complex involving 40 acres now burning in Walker County; 94 acres burning in Newton county, one acre in Harden County; one acre in San Augustine County; one acre in Houston County; 6.5 acres in Shelby County'; one acre in Lamar County; 12 acres and 25 acres in Wood County and six acres in Red River County.
The Cooper Mountain Fire in Kent County, Texas is burning on 2500 acres with unknown containment 12 miles south of Clairemont. It is also 19 miles north of Snyder and moving in the direction of Snyder, but does not pose an immediate threat to Snyder or Clairemont, according to Marq Webb with the Texas Forest Service. Firefighters are struggling to keep the flames from a natural gas facility in the fire's path, but no other structures are threatened at this time.
"We have plenty of air support on that fire," Webb said. "We have eyes in the sky on it, watching the fire's movement, a heavy air tanker out of Abilene, a single engine air tanker, a helicopter, and a task force of dozers and engines."
"You can expect that control will be difficult today with the wind," Webb said. "We can't attack these fires head-on without using aircraft. Otherwise, we'd have to flank the fire and just stay out of its way or it would overrun us, and we can't have that, either. It's always safety first when fighting fires."
"We also have three county road graders working on this fire," Webb explained. "We use these frequently when fighting wildfires on flat terrain because they can build a line around the fire in a hurry." The ground crews on the Cooper Mountain Fire consist primarily of local volunteer fire departments.
Crooked River Fire in Haskell County Raging Across 5000 Acres
The Crooked River Ranch Fire expanded 2000 acres in 24 hours and is now burning on 5000 acres with unknown containment. The fire is 38 miles NE of Abilene and burning into Big Bend National Park and, according to Marq Webb, threatening the Ben Richey Boy's Camp, which was also threatened by a June 2011 fire in the same area. The fire moved into Shackelford County last night and is in a rocky, inaccessible area, which could be good or bad news. It is also exhibiting extreme fire behavior.
"If it's rock with little or no fuel to burn, that's a good thing," Webb said, "but if there's dry, parched fuels with scattered rocks, then the dozers will be ineffective and the fire will require ground crews."
Shackleford and Coleman Burkett West
The Shackelford Fire is burning on 3000 acres 55 miles SW of Sanderson. The Shackelford Fire was started by lightning on September 22, 2011 around 7 p.m. in a remote, inaccessible area, according to the Texas Forest Service.
The Coleman Burkett West Fire in Callahan County started on September 30, 2011 and has now spread to 350 acres. At last report, it was 70% contained.
Hardeman County Fire Jumps the River
The South 104 Fire 11.5 miles SW of Quanah in Hardeman County, Texas started on September 21, 2011 and is still growing. It is now burning on 3700 acres with unknown containment. The fire was believed to be contained, then rekindled on September 29, 2011 and jumped a nearby river, continuing to grow an additional 1222 acres. Firefighters are now using four SEATs and a MAFF C-130 for air support in fighting this fire as it is showing extreme fire behavior and air support appears to be the most effective approach at this time.
Macelroy 1 Fire in Crane County
The Macelroy 1 Fire burning on 1500 acres, five miles northeast of Crane in Crane County, is now 85% contained. The fire continues to threaten several structures in the area. According to Marq Webb, there are two MAFFS C-130s assisting with this fire.
The 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs US Air Force Reserve, and 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte North Carolina Air National Guard have both sent two MAFFS C-130 aircraft and support personnel to assist with the Texas wildfires and they are located in Austin and deployed to various fires as needed. The MAFF C-130s assisted on the Hardeman and Mackelroy 1 fires today, but could end up anywhere in the state tomorrow depending on where they can provide the most effective assistance.
Mitchell 3 and Copper Breaks Fires
The Mitchell 3 Fire in Crockett County, Texas started on September 27, 2011 and burned through 580 acres. It was a difficult battle for firefighters who struggled to contain the fire in rough terrain.
"The terrain is steep," Marq Webb said. "This could mean a lot of ravines. Firefighters had a hard time moving equipment into the area to establish a line of containment and were forced to fight the fire with hand crews." Thankfully, the Mitchell 3 fire is now 100% contained.
After burning through 8080 acres, the Copper Breaks Fire, 19 miles northwest of Crowell, Texas, was also declared 100% contained on September 30, 2011 and no longer threatens surrounding ranch lands. Firefighters are still struggling with hot spots burning in short grass, and creeping and smoldering activity on 10 and 100 hour fuels, which refers to the moisture level within the grass, with flare-ups on interior islands of grass previously unburned.
Bastrop County Complex Fire
A few of the larger, more destructive fires are nearing or have now reached containment. The Bastrop County Complex Fire is still only 98% contained. Fire crews continue to work on mop up tasks and protect homes within the fire's perimeter. There is a small amount of re-burn in the interior of the fire area.
The Bastrop County Complex Fire, which combines the Bastrop County Fire and the Union Chapel Fire, burned through 34,068 acres, destroyed 1649 homes, and killed two residents. The fire started north of Bastrop State Park in the communities of Circle D-KC Estates and Tahitian Village on September 4, 2011, around 3 p.m. and quickly raged out of control through the dry landscape of Central Texas on fuels fanned by the winds from Tropical Storm Lee. The Bastrop County Complex Fire is the most destructive fire in Texas State history.
Economic Impact of the Texas Wildfires
According to Texas Forest Service resource analyst Chris Edgar, the Texas timber industry has suffered tremendous losses due to the 2011 wildfires. Ten months of wildfires burned an estimated $97 million worth of trees on 207,763 acres.
According to Edgar, the $97 million refers to the stumpage value only. The lost timber would have contributed to the production of $1.6 billion in forest products, such as furniture, homes, and paper, and has resulted in a total economic impact of $3.4 billion on East Texas lumber-related businesses.
The Texas wildfires have also caused $5.2 billion in lost crops and livestock according to Dr. David Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension livestock economist.
Texas Wildfire Map
The Texas Forest Service has a wildfire map here that is regularly updated.
Drought Predicted to Continue Through the Winter, and Possibly Until 2020
On September 27, 2011, the Texas Forest Service announced that severe drought conditions and the resulting dangerous fire conditions will continue through the fall and into the Texas winter season of 2011, according to a Southern Area Fire Risk Assessment prediction. Below average moisture and above average temperatures will continue through the end of the year as the dying pines and junipers provide even more fuels for the seemingly endless wildfires.
In fact, the fall season of 2011 could turn out to be the most destructive wildfire season in Texas history as gusty autumn winds move across the state. Although the fall and winter seasons in Texas traditionally bring rain, predicted amounts are small and certainly not enough to rehydrate the remaining dried and dead fuels on Texas fields and ranches.
Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, quoted in the American Statesman on September 29, 2011, says that he believes drought conditions could continue through the year 2020 based on climate predictions for the region and what he believes is a 20 to 40 year dry phase. Nielsen-Gammon suggests that local water planners consider past drought patterns, and while we may hope for the best for Texas, Nielsen-Gammon suggests we plan for the worst case scenario.
Assistance for Texas Volunteer Fire Departments and Wildfire Survivors
On September 29, 2011, the Texas Forest Service responded to 17 new fires burning on 4122 acres, and in the past week, responded to 94 fires on 8761 acres. Since the beginning of the 2011 fire season, the Texas Forest Service has responded to 3081 fires burning on 2,874,745 acres. They saved 22,413 homes and 4352 other structures, and lost 2563 homes and 3215 other structures.
In the State of Texas, local volunteer fire departments respond first and generally call on the Texas Forest Service when the fires burn over 100 acres or grow beyond their control. Texas Volunteer firefighters have responded to 19,460 fires burning on 905,000 during the 2011 wildfire season. They saved 12,129 homes and 10,250 other structures, and lost 264 homes and 987 other structures.
There are 1400 fire departments in the State of Texas. Most volunteer firefighters purchase their own gear, equipment, and repairs. Texans can support their local firefighters by donating to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund or by participating in fund drives. For instance, the Merkel Volunteer Fire Department is having a Fish Fry from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on October 1, 2011 at Heritage Hall. The Fish Fry is sponsored by Red's Satellite Service and tickets may be purchased from any Merkel Volunteer Firefighter and at city hall. The Texas Forest Service has an office in Merkel, Texas.
The Central Texas Red Cross is also taking donations to assist survivors of the Texas wildfires.
Darla Sue Dollman - Darla Sue Dollman, BA, MFA, has expertise in classic films, the Old West, boating, and animals.
