Recent response:
• Yesterday (Monday, April 18), Texas Forest Service responded to 10 new fires burning 435 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 airtanker. Dyess Air Force Base has set up a tanker base to support the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) units on four U.S. Air Force C-130s.
New large fires from yesterday:
CR 4600 (Woodville 285), Tyler Co. 130 acres, 25 percent contained. Ground resources and helicopters responded.
20 uncontained fires from previous days):
PK COMPLEX, Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties. 147,065 acres total. PK West Fire is 89,715 acres, unknown containment. PK East Fire is 10,996 acres, unknown containment. Hohertz Fire is 40,575 acres, unknown containment. Jackson Ranch Fire is 6,687 acres, 50 percent contained. These fires are burning near Possum Kingdom Lake, Caddo, Strawn and Bunger, which all have had evacuations. 600-plus homes are threatened and 31 have been confirmed destroyed, an additional reported number of homes have been reported as destroyed yesterday and are waiting to be confirmed. The town of Strawn has been evacuated, 30 homes at Bunger were evacuated, and several communities surrounding Possum Kingdom Lake have been. The fire is now 6 miles from Graham.
Texas Forest Service task forces and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) strike teams are actively fighting these fires. National Guard Blackhawk helicopters from Austin are assisting and heavy airtankers as well.
WILDCAT, Coke County. 150,000 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, Robert Lee and Tennyson are threatened. Evacuations are in effect for multiple communities. The C-130s w/ MAFFS, heavy airtankers and helicopters have continued to assist.
COOPER MOUNTAIN RANCH, Kent, Stonewall, Scurry and Fisher counties. 152,000 acres, 80 percent contained. A wind shift yesterday pushed the fire south towards Camp Springs. Four homes have been destroyed. TFS task forces and TIFMAS strike teams have been actively fighting this fire.
ROCKHOUSE, Presidio and Jeff Davis counties. 191,066 acres, 75 percent contained. Twenty-three 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 water haulers are assisting with the fire, as well as numerous airtankers and helicopters. A base camp for hundreds of firefighters has been set up at the Fort Davis State Park.
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.
BRYSON COMPLEX, Jack County. 7,500 acres, 50 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.
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 6 miles northeast of Graham. No other information was received.
CR 104, Eastland County. 2,000 acres, 85 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. Seven homes are 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, 80 percent containment. The fire is located 20 miles southwest of Sonora. Two homes were saved.
SUTTON, Crockett County. 31,120 acres, 60 percent contained. The fire is burning 20 miles southwest of Ozona.
YATES FIELD (formerly Iraan), Pecos County. 300 acres, 80 percent contained. 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 damaged.
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, 90 percent contained. Single-engine air tankers responded. Located two miles northwest of Matador.
DAD’S CORNER, Archer County. 6,100 acres, 70 percent contained. Located 15 miles south southwest of Wichita Falls. Fifteen homes are threatened.
