BURNET —A 470-acre wildfire threatened a dozen homes Aug. 8 before crews brought the blaze under control after several hours, officials said.
The fire, which was contained to an area from FM 963 and county roads 112 and 201, continued to smolder into the night north of the city, officials said.
One firefighter was transported by ambulance to a local medical facility and is listed in stable condition, said Crista Bromley, a spokeswoman for Burnet.
"It's a large fire in some very rough terrain," said Herb Darling, the environmental services director for Burnet County. "We have a lot of men and women and heavy machinery in here fighting it."
The blaze was one of two firefighters battled near Burnet, even as temperatures soared into the triple digits.
The second was east of town and off Summit Ridge Road, where 10 acres were scorched, officials said. That area was the scene of another large fire in late May that led to the evacuation of thousands.
The CR 112 fire started around 1 p.m. Burnet Volunteer Fire Department crews responded first, but soon requested assistance when they saw how fast the fire was moving across the drought-stricken terrain.
The cause of the blaze, which consumed an estimated 470 acres, is under investigation, said Rae Brooks of the Texas Forest Service.
Officials began evacuating residents as the fire worked its way through pastures and wooded areas.
Two helicopters — one from Austin-Travis County's STAR Flight and the other supplied by Texas Forest Service contractor Croman Corporation — arrived on the scene by 2 p.m. and dropped water during the afternoon.
Brooks said two single-engine airplanes and an air tanker also provided support.
Fire crews from both northern and southern Burnet County battled the fire on the ground.
Crews acting on orders from the Burnet County commissioners brought in several pieces of heavy equipment, including graders and bulldozers, to help with fire relief.
In addition to the state forest service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department also assisted with fire control.
By 4:30 p.m., the Williamson County emergency response team arrived at the CR 112 command post with units from Round Rock, Hutto and other departments.
"The heat is a major concern for the men and women fighting the fire," Darling said earlier in the day. "We're rotating people out as often as we can so they can rest."
While fire crews wrestled with the large fire, other units responded to the smaller blaze on Summit Ridge Road off Texas 29.
That fire was contained by 5:30 p.m.
Officials said fire crews would remain at both locations. No other injuries were reported and displaced residents returned to their homes late Aug. 8.
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IN PHOTO: A firefighting helicopter refills with water at a pond before heading back to fight a large blaze just northeast of Burnet off CR 112 and FM 963 Aug. 8. It was one of two afternoon wildfires first responders battled north of the city for several hours. Dozens of agencies from as far away as Hutto rushed to the scene. The smaller fire was reported at Summit Ridge Road, where a blaze in late May forced the evacuation of thousands. By the evening of Aug. 8, officials said the CR 112 blaze was 90 percent contained. No injuries were reported. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton
