Central Texas is burning

[klmall]

Saying prayers for the firefighters and all the families involved in this terrible situation. A "go bag" sounds like a necessity right now for much of Texas. And don't forget to pick up some cash from the bank before leaving town.

 

[vettegirl]

It is devastating! The one in Grimes county is near my Grandmother's house.

 

[AustinTink]

Saying prayers for the firefighters and all the families involved in this terrible situation. A "go bag" sounds like a necessity right now for much of Texas. And don't forget to pick up some cash from the bank before leaving town.

So true about the cash. I'll hit the bank this afternoon. Another fire just started 10 minutes from me in the other direction. I passed it right now on the way home. This is all so horrible.

 

[Laketravis]

The helicopters have been flying over my house all weekend thru today, refilling the water buckets at Lake Pflugerville and taking it back to Bastrop. It doesn't look like those buckets could hold enough water to be effective but have to remember that 5,000 gallons of water can weigh 40,000 pounds.

Can smell the smoke in our yard. Went out to our lake house this morning on Lake Travis because fires started in Crystal Falls last night. The landscape is brown. Nothing is green. Mature shrubs that I planted years ago that have survived previous droughts are brown and shriveled up.

It's bad. We need rain.

 

[tink20]

So true about the cash. I'll hit the bank this afternoon. Another fire just started 10 minutes from me in the other direction. I passed it right now on the way home. This is all so horrible.

Stay safe Austin Tink, and everyone else in Texas, I wish there was something I could do to help. I'll pray for you guys. I was so hoping that TD Lee would come your way. Maybe another tropical storm will pop up and dump lots of rain. ......praying.

 

[minniebeth]

Praying for everyone in Texas that's affected~ most importantly for eveyone's safety, but also for their homes. Keeping all firefighters and emergency responders in my thoughts as well.

 

[Duchie]

It's just awful. As soon as you hear one has been put out, you get word that another one has been started, and each time they get a little closer to our house. We were supposed to get rain last week but then stupid Lee sucked all of our moisture and dumped it on Louisiana, then whipped us with the winds. I just wish it would rain and soon!

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

oh crap!! My daughter lives in Austin, have not heard from her!! where are these?

 

[Gina]

They're all over... not just Central Texas, but East Texas as well, and north of Houston. It's like our whole state is going up in flames. And at least for the general Houston area, there isn't a drop of rain in the forecast for at least the next 14 days. I hope the forecast for the seriously affected parts is better!

Here's a map and info on the fires:

http://wildfiretoday.com/

 

[bumcat]

We have never ever had this bad from so many fires. I am two hours away from Bastrop and the smoke was so thick over us yesterday. It was reported the smoke was heavy all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Thank God for facebook! There is another fb page called Texas Storm Chasers. Lots of good information on it. Some folks were on vacation and had their domestic and farm animals at their house. so many volunteered to rescue the horses and place them at their place or a nearby place. One lady opened up her barn to the horses and then those horses had to be rescued. A lot of show dogs were left behind at one house, I do not know if anyone was able to go in and saved them. There is a dog park being used to hold all the dogs/cats.

It's just horrible. The worst is Bastrop but Montgomery area and East Texas started having fires yesterday. On the east side a 20 yr old and her infant died in the fire.

So far, have not heard of any deaths in the Bastrop/Austin area.

 

[AustinTink]

I just got word that 2 friends lost their homes. Praying for all those effected....

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thoughts and prayers are with you guys up there. We live about 300 miles South of you, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and we can smell it. It was on the weather report today that the smell is from the Central Texas fires. So it must be huge! Just wondering, when exactly did the fires start? I drove home from San Antonio Sunday afternoon and didn't hear of it up there.

 

[Uncle Remus]

The DFW FOX affiliate is reportin' the eastern 2/3 of the state is covered with smoke.

 

[4greatboys]

I just got word that 2 friends lost their homes. Praying for all those effected....

I'm so sorry your friends lost their homes. I hope they were able to get some of their non replaceable things out it before hand.

 

[EMom]

http://ticc.tamu.edu/Response/FireActivity/default.aspx

Map of Central TX fire activity if anyone is interested...

Thank you so much for that link! I have been worried about how my mother's house (now mine) was doing, as news reports said there was fire near it. It's slap dab in the middle of a heavily forested area, as is most of East Texas. The link let me see how close the fire was, so now I can keep an eye on it. There is nothing I can do about it except wait and see, but I feel better having a clue.

As for us, we're better off today than yesterday. Yesterday, the fires were on both sides of us, but at least one of those is under control. They were several miles away, but living in the middle of forest that is as dry as a bone, it travels fast. We drove near the interstate yesterday and I looked at the sky and mentioned that it was incredibly hazy. About that time, we smelled smoke INSIDE the car. And we were not taking in air from outside. We stepped outside the car and the smoke smell was overwhelming. After we left that store, we got up on the interstate and from that elevation could actually see the smoke. That was too close for comfort.

Having listened to the news and looked at that map, I wonder if the Renaissance Festival in Plantersville will be swallowed up by fire......

All I'd grab would be my DD's documents, photos, jewelry, my cat, my meds and any cash I have. We need to get busy seeding clouds or something.

 

[DeaverTex]

...and still no rain in the forecast. At least the winds have died down.

 

[mickeyboat]

Sending hugs, prayers and positive thoughts to you folks in Texas. I am also doing a rain dance. Stay safe, everyone.

 

[AustinTink]

I'm so sorry your friends lost their homes. I hope they were able to get some of their non replaceable things out it before hand.

A few things, paperwork, etc. But, they had 10 minutes to get out. One of them is in his late 60's. He lost everything, all his memories.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't see any rain in the forecast for anywhere in Texas. At least it's cooler but it's so dry!

oh crap!! My daughter lives in Austin, have not heard from her!! where are these?

Austin has been safe so far. Most of this has been to the east and south of the city and moving away. At least that's the last I heard.

 

[Planogirl]

A headline that I just found:

Firefighting efforts switch to defending Jefferson, Texas area

There's apparently a massive fire in that area too. Jefferson is a wonderful old town.