100-acre brush blaze east of Marble Falls sparks fire danger warning
STAR Flight conducted water drops April 11 to try to mitigate the spread of a 100-acre brush fire in the Singleton Bend Road area near Jonestown.
STAFF WRITER CONNIE SWINNEY
JONESTOWN — A 100-acre brush fire off RR 1431 east of Marble Falls, which resulted in injuries to at least two firefighters, prompted Burnet County officials on April 12 to ask residents not to burn outdoors for the next couple of days due to the fire danger.
The three-day brush fire was first reported at about 7 p.m. April 10 in the 6700 block of Singleton Bend Road, just off Post Oak Bend Loop and RR 1431, outside of Jonestown.
Travis County Emergency Services District No. 1 requested assistance from surrounding agencies and initially kept the blaze, not considered a threat to structures, to about 30 acres.
By mid-morning the next day, the fire restarted, so state and local agencies, including the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department, launched into action.
“High winds, low humidity — these are characteristics that make it dangerous,” Marble Falls Area VFD Fire Chief Mike Phillips said.
Winds reportedly gusted up to 18 mph on April 11.
At least two firefighters were transported to the emergency room due to non-life-threatening injuries sustained on the scene. One of those injuries happened when a shift in wind direction trapped personnel within the blaze, according to a statement by Travis County ESD No. 1.
Travis County’s STAR Flight helicopter and the Texas A&M Forest Service also assisted to help keep the fire from structures and the main roadway.
By about 2 p.m. April 12, agencies reported the blaze was primarily contained; however, personnel were expected to remain at the scene to battle hot spots and prevent flareups.
The incident prompted Burnet County authorities to ask residents to postpone any outdoor burning for at least a couple of days, even though no official ban is in place.
“Weather conditions make it prohibitive to burn due to the high winds and lack of humidity,” Phillips said.
Llano and Travis counties have implemented bans on outdoor burning.
Lower Colorado River Authority meteorologist Bob Rose predicted a 40-50 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms in parts of Central Texas on Friday, April 13.
Less than a quarter-inch of rain is expected in the Hill Country.