Nineteen wildfires burned 2,985 acres across Texas Tuesday after a “complex and dynamic” fire environment increased wildfire potential over a large portion of the state, Texas A&M Forest Service said.
Nine of those fires are still burning, including the 150-acre Onion Creek Fire in Hays County, which is 75% contained, and the Klett Fire in Blanco County, which burned 101 acres and is 80% contained.
The Longhorn Fire in the 3700 block of Longhorn Trail in Wimberley is not included in the Forest Service’s count ( as of 6:30 p.m.), but is visible on the Forest Service’s incident viewer. The 3.6-acre fire is 95% contained.
Near-critical fire weather conditions were expected across south central Texas today. A Rangeland Fire Danger Statement was issued through 3 p.m. due to north winds of 10-15 mph with gusts to 20 mph, minimum relative humidity values of 15-25% and dry to critically dry fuels.
Fires are blamed on a combination of very strong winds, low humidity and drought, which supported the rapid spread and difficult suppression of wildfires.
Active Wildfires:
Contained Wildfires (100%):
– Brush Line Fire, Hidalgo County – 58 acres
Evan Bentley, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Weather Service, Tuesday said the Edwards Plateau over into the Texas Hill Country is especially vulnerable to wildfires.
“That’s an area where we have an extremely critical fire-weather threat and this is actually the highest threat category we have only issued a couple of times this year and this is the first time that we have ever issued it that far east in Texas. So metro areas such as San Antonio and Austin are in the threat area,” he said.
