Latest news with #KlettFire
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Abbott announces federal assistance for Texas wildfires
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the state's request for fire management assistance grants for the Welder Fire in San Patricio County and the Duke Fire in Bexar County, according to a press release. 'The State of Texas and emergency responders continue to work around the clock to fight the wildfires in Texas and keep our communities safe,' Abbott said. 'FEMA's approval of Texas' grant assistance request for San Patricio and Bexar counties will provide crucial financial assistance to help ease the cost of fighting the Welder and Duke fires.' The approval of the grants allows the state to become eligible for 75% reimbursement from the federal government for costs related to the two wildfires, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). TDEM said on Tuesday, that state emergency responders supported 41 new wildfires that started and burned more than 4,400 acres. In Central Texas, a total of 10 fires burned 486.5 acres in the KXAN viewing area. The Onion Creek Fire and the Klett Fire were still active fires as of Wednesday evening, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires continue to burn in Hays and Blanco Counties
The Brief Wildfires continue to burn in Hays and Blanco Counties On March 4, there were two reported wildfires in Hays County. On March 5, another fire was reported Blanco County has one wildfire that is nearly contained TEXAS - Wildfires continue to burn in Hays and Blanco Counties. Officials caution the risk of new fires remains elevated, with the Hays County Judge issuing a burn ban late Wednesday. The backstory As of Wednesday, March 5, the Onion Creek Fire near Buda has burned an estimated 190 acres and is 80% contained. A new fire started Wednesday afternoon west of Wimberley off Ranch Road 2325. So far, five acres have burned, and the fire is 95% contained. In Blanco County, the Klett Fire has burned 101 acres and is 95% contained. It is off of US 290 west of Johnson City, and was also fueled by the wind. So far, there is no word on the causes of these fires. What they're saying After a scary few hours for residents in part of Hays County, the Texas A&M Forest reported Wednesday that they've made major progress in getting the Onion Creek Fire under control. "The crews worked late into the night. They continued conception of the fire line, and right now we are engaging in heavy mop up," said Laura Stevens, a public information officer with the Texas A&M Forest Service. "We're making sure active flames are extinguished." The fire started early Tuesday evening in the Ruby Ranch area off FM 967, with Hays County evacuating residents and businesses in the area. "We got a few texts saying that we needed to evacuate, so we went ahead and booked our guest some hotel rooms nearby and got then evacuated off the property," said Brad Burkart, general manager of the nearby Sage Hill Inn & Spa. Dozens of firefighters responded, with Travis County STAR Flight battling the flames from above, and Austin Fire Department wildfire crews called in as well. The weather did not help matters. "One of the challenges with this fire is the windy conditions," said Stevens. "And then also it is rocky hilly terrain." About 150 acres were burned, but no structures were damaged and no one was hurt. Those evacuated were given the all-clear to return. The remaining flames Wednesday were in a wooded area on a property belonging to Austin Water. "We are not expecting it to go beyond that footprint right now," said Stevens. What they're saying "Well, certainly the same weather that they're having, we're having," said Lt. Chris Dibrell, the Fire Adapted Communities coordinator for the Austin Fire Department's Wildfire Division. While Austin has avoided any major fires so far, AFD has been very busy—with 25 brush fire calls through Tuesday night. In fact, they've been bringing brush trucks to regular calls, just in case, and urge residents to do their part. "If you're grilling, dispose of the ashes. If you're smoking, be sure you discard your smoking materials appropriately," said Dibrell. Why you should care Austinites can get a Structure Ignition Zone Evaluation to help keep your home safe from wildfires. "We will come. We will schedule a meeting, meet you at the front door of your house. Walk around the outside of your home with you, and give you pointers and advice on how you can protect your home from embers," said Dibrell. Central Texans can sign up for alerts, so you know if a fire is close by, by clicking here. It's also a good idea to have a bag ready to go with essentials like food and clothing, in case you get evacuated. The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak and previous coverage
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
BLOG: Wildfires spark in Central Texas amid extreme fire danger
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Crews are battling wildfires in Central Texas Tuesday as the region is experiencing a day of 'potentially historic' fire conditions, according to the National Weather Service. Although rain swept through parts of Central Texas in the morning, high winds, dry air and dry brush and trees on the ground are contributing to the risk of fire in the area. On Tuesday morning, the Texas A&M Forest Service put most of our area in an extreme (5 out of 5) wildfire risk, with red flag warnings in effect through the night. Latest forecast Wildfire tracker Look up power outages Evacuation checklist 5:30 p.m. The Austin Community College Elgin campus said it is closing early due to a power outage. 'Only agriculture classes on the campus will continue on their regular schedules. All other classes, work, and activities at Elgin are canceled for the remainder of the day. No other campuses are affected,' a spokesperson for ACC said in a statement. ACC said updates will be posted to the ACC website and the district's social media pages. 5:20 p.m. As high winds soar in Central Texas, KXAN continues tracking multiple wildfires across Central Texas. Our Sarah Al-Shaikh, who was reporting from Manor, said firefighters are continuing to monitor a brush fire on Blue Goose Road. 4:40 p.m. KXAN keeps track of wildfires in Texas. More than 300 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas so far in 2025, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. MAP: More than 300 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires in 2025 We'll keep them updated as new information becomes available. Fires that are still uncontained are red on the map in the article. 4:35 p.m. The Texas A&M Forest Service is responding to a fire in Blanco County, the agency said on social media around 4:20 p.m. The fire, now being called the Klett Fire, is estimated at 100 acres and is 0% contained. 3:44 p.m. The Williamson County Office of Emergency Management said on social media there were at least eight fires reported in the county Tuesday. 'Fortunately, most have been contained thanks to the diligent work of our first responders,' the office said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Some Hays County residents under evacuation orders due to active wildfires
Some Hays County residents were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday due to active wildfires. As of about 5:30 p.m., evacuation orders were active for residents living within half a mile of the 4400 block of FM 150 in Kyle, according to a Facebook post from the Hays County Sheriff's Office. The post said an earlier evacuation order had been lifted for residents living within 3 miles of the 800 block of Engelke Road in Niederwald. Hays County said at about 5:30 p.m. in a post on X that "the location of the current fire in Hays County" was north of Indian Hills Trail, east of Teal Lane, west of Story Drive and north of Onion Creek. "It is currently confined within the Onion Creek area," the post said. It directed residents to the website, Hays County emergency response agencies are sending evacuation alerts through Warn Central Texas. Residents can sign up to receive alerts at The Austin Fire Department sent a few units to Hays County to assist with the fires there, said Mark Bridges, department division chief. There were no fires of concern in Travis County, Bridges said in an interview shortly after 5 p.m. Bridges said the department brought in eight additional wildland firefighter units in anticipation of the high fire risk expected Tuesday. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the entire region through 9 p.m. due to extreme fire risk, according to the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office. "Very strong wind gusts and low relative humidity will support the rapid spread and difficult suppression of any wildfires that may ignite," the office said. "Avoid activities that could cause a wildfire!" The Austin-area continues to see large amounts of dust in the sky due to the strong winds but is not under any kind of advisory. The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a rare Blowing Dust Advisory for the areas around Abilene. The advisory warns drivers of hazardous road conditions and reduced visibility to less than a mile. Firefighters have been working to contain a major blaze west of Johnson City that has been dubbed the Klett Fire, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Blanco County Sheriff's Office. As of mid-afternoon Tuesday it spanned as much as 100 acres and was 0% contained. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Some Hays County residents under evacuation orders due to wildfire
