Texas and Oklahoma Fires - Summer of 2011

[aspiring drifter]

if you're heart is broken now guys then you're about to be MAD. just last night my husband had to go out and he witnessed a van in front of him throw out two lit cigarettes.

 

[Sassygerl]

...actually, the news even said there was a fire somewhere on my street yesterday, which is a loooong street but was contained in about an hour. we were out yesterday though with my niece and her boyfriend getting baptized. i'm happy for them. it's a shame there was such a horrible thing going on at the same time. we didn't even know until we were at the church having dinner and a good time. her boyfriend's mother called to let him know she had to evacuate her home so we prayed for her and all the others.

Sounds like possibly the same fire that stopped my heart!!!!!!!!

 

[aspiring drifter]

it's 34,000 acres now.

 

[annemc2]

Oh yeah, it is bad. My parents live in Bastrop but are visiting me here in the PNW. My sister went to stay overnight at their house and was evacuated. She drove home to...you guessed it...Steiner Ranch and had to leave again! It is completely nuts. We are getting very frequent updates here from neighbors, etc and the destruction is just unreal.

My sister was saying how sad it is (and it reminds me a lot of missing persons cases and the press) that Steiner Ranch (an upscale subdivision) is getting so much more press than the people in Bastrop and surrounding rural areas who have lost their homes. I haven't seen that portrayal in the national news but apparently local coverage, she says, is very biased toward Steiner Ranch. She says the whole place looks like a war zone. Her eyes were watering all day at work inside an air-conditioned building (in Bastrop). She has gathered the bulk of my parents' most precious possessions (mostly photos, papers, and a few musical instruments) and is ready to jump in the car with them at any second. It's unimaginable.

 

[aspiring drifter]

i can see how the bigger press will not cover bastrop but our local news here has been 80%-90% bastrop. i also was told two gas stations exploded.

 

[SurfieTX]

I'm in an evacuation area. I'm so stressed out. Sorry for not helping more with my cases. I will be back when the threat is not so great.

 

[mysteriew]

I'm in an evacuation area. I'm so stressed out. Sorry for not helping more with my cases. I will be back when the threat is not so great.

LOL SurfieTX your first priority is you and yours. Stay safe.

 

[KittyTwist]

My family lives right outside of Bastrop and when I spoke to them last night the fire was getting very close. They have their stuff packed and will be ready to go if it comes to that for them. Last week over 500 acres burned within 1/4 mile from my home. It is very scary in so many places right now. I am praying for everyone!

 

[Silkprint]

WOW!!
Please stay safe all !
I feel so bad for all these poeple losing their homes
I hadn't even heard about these fires until yesterday...Hope they get them out ASAP!

 

[LadyLuck]

Everyone stay safe. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you in Texas. Praying for rain.

 

[momtective]

We have a lot of smoke here, currently under a dense smoke advisory, visibility is reduced to about 2 miles or less. Fire is still a ways from us though so we are thankful for that.

 

[tk71texas]

seemed better this morning....last night the smoke was very thick in katy, tx and i'm 35 miles or so from ground zero....

 

[Sassygerl]

Yikes they are saying one of the fires here in the Austin area was set by teenagers

The Leander fire is mostly contained, but police are now looking for four teenagers whom they believe are responsible for it. Eleven homes were destroyed in the 300 acre fire.

http://www.kutnews.org/post/central-texas-wildfire-updates-september-6-2011

 

[SurfieTX]

Thanks everyone. They reported the fires here were 80-85% contained this a.m., but they are flaring up again. I still haven't unpacked our bags just yet. Give me a hurricane any day of the week compared to this.

 

[wfgodot]

Fires in and around San Antonio haven't been quite as deadly. Yet.

Fire rekindles near Camp Bullis

---
Flames erupted on Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley property around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday in an area where a grass fire had previously ignited Tuesday afternoon, said Phil Reidinger, public affairs spokesman for the bases.

County spokeswoman Laura Jesse said around 60 acres had burned by 5 p.m. The fire line was moving southeast, she said, and bulldozers were headed to the front of the fire to create breaks. In addition, helicopters were en route to drop retardant on the burning brush. Most of the fire was ins Leon Springs, Reidinger said.

Residents in Fair Oaks Ranch who live along Ralph Fair Road, Pimlico Lane and Ruffian Drive were evacuated via a reverse 911 system, a Boerne dispatcher said. They were asked to go to Messiah Lutheran Church, at 9401 Dietz Elkhorn Road.
---

more at S.A. Express-News link above

 

[cbanning]

I live just east of Bastrop. My husband is a volunteer firefighter for a dept. that is between Bastrop and Smithville. He got trapped in the fire the first day and suffered smoke inhalation and dehydration. He is doing ok but frustrated that he can't go back out and help. The majority of the other firefighters have lost everything, yet they continue to work the fire.

I worked at Bastrop State Park for years and I'm just sick that out of 6,000 acres only 100 acres aren't burned. So far the park rangers have managed to save all but 2 of the historic CCC buildings.

Please continue to pray for all firefighters and everyone who lost their homes.

 

[noZme]

If you need safe pasture for your horses due to wildfires in Texas, call Mr. Matt Daniel at 832-769-1879. He can has pasture to shelter 60 horses and has trucks and trailers ready to go. He can move 10 horses at a time.

(please repost in appropriate places ~ facebook, news comments, etc)

 

[tk71texas]

smoke made it to houston today...it was very thick this morning driving to work

 

[Kat]

I reposted to facebook NoZme. I lived in TX a decade, lots of friends there. Thanks!

 

[fhc]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/090811-Lake-Whitney-Wildfire-Forces-Evacuations

Will it never stop?

Smoke was bad here yesterday in DFW area