Central Texas – areas surrounding the city of Austin on almost all sides, are erupting in flames today and tonight. This was bound to happen. Combine the driest year on record, hotter than average temperatures and 30 mph winds today – and you have the perfect conditions for disastrous wild fires.
Fires broke out across Central Texas Sunday. The hot, dry, windy conditions made the job that much harder for firefighters.
Authorities say 14,000 acres have burned in Bastrop, destroying 300 homes. The fire is near FM 1441 and Highway 21. People in the areas of Wilderness Ridge, Cedar Creek and Alan Creek were evacuated. Four shelters have been set up in the Bastrop area for evacuees.
All 13 Travis County fire departments worked on grass or brush fires Sunday.
RR 620 at Steiner Ranch is closed due to the fire. Steiner Ranch residents were evacuated to Vandergrift High School on 9500 McNeil Dr.
via Fires break out across Central Texas | kvue.com Austin.
This is an area I call home. Yes, I’m pissed the area has been over-developed, wild life displaced, our rivers and lakes drained by… but it’s still my home.
Steiner Ranch used to be a huge working ranch not more than a mile from where I grew up. Back when 620 was a deserted 2 lane twisting road to Lake Travis. Willie Nelson had one of his first 4th of July picnics there. I learned to drive on it’s twisting, one lane road, driving across cattle guards and letting that old 1963 Cadillac bump up and down.
Someone, either tossing out a cigarette or using a BBQ with charcoal, got this fire started. That may be the cause for all the fires. I don’t know. I just know they unwittingly caused millions of dollars in damages, displacing thousands of families, and killing large numbers of wildlife and – perhaps – people’s pets.
When an area gets as many people as the Austin area, you have lots of nice people… but you also get your share of ass-holes.
Somewhere out there these is an asshole, or several, who might have started this fire with a careless cigarette or BBQ fire.
Where I work, we stayed late making sure the evacuees and firefighters had drinking water and other supplies. Many people stayed late, hours past their time to go home. But we also had 4 assholes who left on time and didn’t stay to help. One even laughed, saying all of Steiner could burn as far as he cared. I helped load water and probably hurt my back again, but it’s to help people who are suddenly homeless and the brave guys fighting this fire. I wasn’t about to leave until I was told to go home.
Many of the people who are displaced have lost everything except the clothing on their backs and family pets. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.