Recent response:
*Yesterday (Sunday, April 17), Texas Forest Service responded to 20 new fires burning 6,409 acres.
*A Type I Incident Management Team has been ordered for the PK West Fire and a Type II Incident Management Team has been ordered to support East Texas. A tanker base has been set up in Midland to support a DC-10 air tanker. Dyess Air Force Base has set up a tanker base to support the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) units on four USAF C-130s. This is the first time Texas has mobilized these aerial resources.
*The new 100-acre Pinnacle Fire in Travis County west of Austin destroyed six homes, caused numerous evacuations and threatened 100 homes and 10 businesses. Two MAFFS units from Del Rio dropped retardant on the fire that assisted in the saving of those structures.
*197 Texas counties are reporting burn bans.
New large fires from Sunday:
DAD’S CORNER, Archer County. 6,100 acres, 70 percent contained. Located 15 miles south southwest of Wichita Falls.
Uncontained fires from previous days:
PK WEST, Stephens County. 50,739 acres, 25 percent contained. This fire is burning near Possum Kingdom Lake. 495 homes are threatened and 31 have been destroyed. The town of Strawn has been evacuated, 30 homes at Bunger were evacuated. The fire is now 6 miles from Graham. TFS task forces and two Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) strike teams are actively fighting this fire. This fire has burned into the Hohertz Fire and the PK East. National Guard Blackhawk helicopters from Austin are assisting.
HOHERTZ, Palo Pinto County. This fire has burned into the PK West Fire. All information will be reported under the PK West Fire.
ROCKHOUSE, Presidio and Jeff Davis counties. 187,007 acres, 70 percent contained. 23 homes and two businesses were destroyed in the Fort Davis area. Burnout operations continued on the west side of the fire. Ten 20-person hand crews continue to work the fire. Eight TIFMAS Type 1 engines and four tenders are assisting with the fire, as well as numerous air tankers and helicopters. A base camp for hundreds of firefighters has been set up at the Fort Davis State Park.
WILDCAT, Coke County. 103,772 acres, unknown containment. This fire is burning north of San Angelo. More than 400 homes have been saved. The communities of Grape Creek, Quail Valley, Bronte and Robert Lee are threatened. Evacuations are in effect for multiple communities. Heavy air tankers, C-130s w/ MAFFS and helicopters continue to assist.
COOPER MOUNTAIN RANCH, Kent, Stonewall, Scurry and Fisher counties. 152,000 acres, 50 percent contained. A wind shift yesterday pushed the fire south toward Camp Springs. Four homes have been destroyed Texas Forest Service task forces and TIFMAS strike teams are actively fighting this fire.
SWENSON, Stonewall, King, and Knox counties. 122,500 acres, 90 percent contained. The fire is burning near Swenson. A large slopover occurred yesterday on the southeast side of the fire.
JACKSON RANCH, Stephens County. 2200 acres, 50 percent contained. The fire was located south of Caddo, but made a major run toward the community, causing the entire community to evacuate.
BRYSON COMPLEX, Jack County. 7,500 acres, 40 percent contained. More than 150 homes were threatened and saved in the town of Bryson. 70 people have been evacuated. The complex is made up of the 5,300-acre 1191/Rockcreek Fire and the 2,200-acre Shanafelt Fire.
JOSSERAND SOUTH (Livingston 254), Trinity County. 1,369 acres, 75 percent contained. The fire is burning 20 miles northwest of Livingston in pine plantation.
PIPELINE, Tyler County. 7,000 acres, 75 percent contained. Forty homes are threatened on the fire burning in pine plantation 10 miles northeast of Kountze. Two National Guard Blackhawks from San Antonio are assisting.
SMITH, Young County. 2,000 acres, 85 percent contained. The fire is burning six miles northeast of Graham. No other information was received.
CR 104, Eastland County. 2,000 acres, 75 percent contained. The fire is burning 2 miles north of Cisco. 1,850 homes were threatened in the city of Cisco, as well as a church camp. Five homes and one vehicle destroyed.
WICHITA COUNTY COMPLEX, Wichita County. 11,785 acres, 90 percent contained. The complex is made up of three fires – Iowa West, Holiday, Missile – burning around Wichita Falls. Shepard Air Force Base was threatened, as were hundreds of homes and apartment complexes around the area. Twenty homes are reported destroyed.
FRYING PAN RANCH, Andrews County. 80,907 acres, 80 percent contained. This fire is located 25 miles northwest of Andrews. Numerous homes were threatened, but none have been lost.
CANNON FIRE COMPLEX, Pecos County. The complex of three fires is burning 50 miles east of Fort Stockton. The Cannon Fire is 9,248 acres and 80 percent contained. The DRH Fire is 26,284 acres and 80 percent contained. The Little Smokey Fire is 27,895 acres and 80 percent contained.
EAST SIDWYNICKS, Eastland County. 3,000 acres, 95 percent contained. The fire is burning near Carbon City. 1,200 homes were threatened.
McPHERSON, Sutton County. 1,600 acres, 60 percent containment. The fire is located 20 miles southwest of Sonora. Two homes were saved.
SUTTON, Crockett County. 31,120 acres, unknown containment. The fire is burning 20 miles southwest of Ozona.
YATES FIELD (formerly Iraan), Pecos County. 300 acres, unknown containment. The fire is burning 10 miles southwest of Iraan.
ENCINO, Tom Green County. 12,659 acres, 90 percent contained. This fire is 13 miles west of San Angelo. Ten homes threatened and saved. Two homes were threatened and received damage.
HICKMAN, Midland County. 16,500 acres, 98 percent contained. 34 homes were destroyed, 62 homes were damaged on this fire south of Midland.
MIDDLE PEASE, Motley County. 400 acres, unknown containment. SEATs responded. Located two miles northwest of Matador.
Prevention messages:
- Obey outdoor burning bans. Don’t burn trash or debris when conditions are dry or windy. Unsafe burning of leaves, brush, household trash and other debris is the No. 1 cause of wildfires in Texas.
- Keep lawn mowers and agricultural equipment in proper working condition and avoid rocks and other materials which might cause a spark.
- To report suspicious activities, call the Arson Hotline at (888) 501-3850. If possible, safely obtain an accurate description of the person and/or vehicle (including the license number) before calling the hotline.
- Humans cause more than 90 percent of all wildfires. Do not weld or cut without a spotter, a water source and a shovel.
