Fire crews contain Trails End fire near Johnson City
FROM STAFF REPORTS
JOHNSON CITY — Fire crews saved all structures in the area as they battled the Trails End fire on July 11 and into the overnight of July 12 that grew to as much as an estimated 359 acres. Blanco County Emergency Management officials also posted that nobody was injured as a result of the fire.
The fire started around 3 p.m. July 11 in the area of Trails End Road and Weddle Road off RR 1323 north of Johnson City. Multiple fire crews, as well as Travis County STAR Flight and Texas Department of Public Safety Air Support, responded to the fire.
By 7 p.m., 41 ground units and the two aerial units fought the blaze and had it 40 percent contained. The Texas A&M Forest Service also arrived on the site and had begun bulldozer operations to cut a containment line.
Blanco County Emergency Management officials estimated there were approximately 90 people fighting the fire.
Law enforcement officers had begun alerting residences in the area early in the day about the fire. Though there were no mandatory evacuations, seven people did voluntarily chose to leave the area, but had returned by 7 p.m.
Officials had established a shelter at the First United Methodist Church of Johnson City by 4 p.m. July 11, but began curtailing those operations by 7 p.m., as well.
By 8:45 p.m. the fire was 100 percent contained, but fire crews remained on location to conduct mop-up operations as well as seek out hot spots and extinguish those. By 10 p.m. fire officials had released out-of-county resources, though Johnson City Volunteer Fire Department, Blanco VFD, Round Mountain VFD, Blanco County Emergency Management, and Texas A&M Forest Service remained on the scene.
At 2:30 a.m. July 12, Blanco County Emergency Management officials posted that they had transitioned into overnight operations with three units remaining throughout the night to monitor the fire area. More crews would return in the morning of July 12 to continue mopping up and mitigation operations.
editor@thepicayune.com
