Posted on 09/05/2011 11:27:31 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
More at link — my earlier post was removed because I put too much text in comment.
Hang in there.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Fires-destroy-homes-in-Bastrop-Magnolia-2156637.php
[excerpt]Magnolia fire
The Magnolia fire, located off FM 1774 and FM 1488, jumped FM 1488 late Monday and forced further evacuations, although some families were being allowed back to their homes. The Magnolia Independent School District canceled classes today because of the fires. Evacuation shelters were being set up throughout the area, including at Magnolia High School.
Another fire in the area had burned 100 acres and was 80 percent contained, Norris said. It had destroyed one structure and caused no injuries after 50 homes were evacuated.
A fire covering about 100 acres was burning in Oak Ridge North late Monday.
A fire near Nacogdoches that started Sunday night raged to 300 acres Monday and forced 60 families to evacuate their homes, said Ralph Cullom, a spokesman for the Texas Forrest Service. That fires grew with strong gusts of winds and fed off of dry conditions on the ground.
“This drought we’re having is just unprecedented,” Cullom said.
No injuries have been reported in Bastrop, but two people were reported killed in a North Texas fire Monday. A woman and her 18-month-old child died when a fast-moving fire near Gladewater, east of Dallas, set their mobile home on fire and they were unable to escape. [end excerpt]
This LINK is to several videos [7 so far].
"I've got to get out of here," said 64-year-old Urban Graf, a retired Marine, as gray smoke wafted across the yard of his four-bedroom, three-bath home. Graf asked a reporter to drive his red 2011 Chevrolet Camaro to safety while he loaded his three dogs and a cat in another vehicle to escape the approaching fires.
.....Firefighting and emergency rescue teams from across the state poured into the area throughout the day, many of them fresh from battling grassfires elsewhere in Texas. Capt. Dan White of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Fire Rescue said his team of about 20 personnel had dealt with wildfires in Palo Pinto County and the Ennis area before arriving Bastrop County at mid-day Monday....
Since the beginning of wildfire season, local and state firefighters have responded to more than 20,900 fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and burned more than 3.6 million acres.... [end excerpt]
It was a bit odd today to see all the helicopters and planes flying over the city.
I doubt it will rain in September and we should have a little rain in October-December.
IF not, 2012 is going to be a lot worse.
By late Monday, more than 100 people had come to Ascension to wait out the smoke and flames.
Lee Mobley, 73, sat with his wife, Martha, and tried not to ponder what he might not ever see again. The retired chief petty officer in the Navy had 15 minutes to leave, he said.
"It's tough to make a decision in 15 minutes about what you're going to get from your house," he said solemnly.
"We left 22 years of memories from the military there," he added. He also abandoned a car in the garage.
He'd been saving it, he explained, for his grandson.
Others at the church worried about the condition of their wedding pictures and heirloom furniture…..[end excerpt]
2218 Pershing Drive, Austin, 78723
(512) 929-1250
Austin Disaster Relief Network
P.O. Box 3817, Cedar Park, 78630
(512) 331-2200
Capital Area Food Bank
Accepting nonperishable food donations (canned meats, granola bars, peanut butter, bottled water) at 8201 S. Congress Ave., Austin
(512) 282-2111
Catholic Charities of Central Texas
Accepting monetary donations as well as items such as blankets, pillows, toiletries and medical supplies from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1817 E. Sixth St., Austin, and 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. at 6225 U.S. 290 East.
Catholic Charities of Central Texas
H-E-B
Collecting donations to American Red Cross at its stores' checkout stands. H-E-B is donating $50,000 to the Red Cross and deploying its mobile kitchen to the emergency shelter at Bastrop Middle School.
Old Wind's Dollar General Store
Accepting clothing donations at 210 Main St., Smithville
http://kgnb.am/news/devastating-fires-across-south-central-texas-how-you-can-help
“...................Over 400 residents remain in emergency shelters, and there are a lot of items needed, since many of those residents have lost most, if not all, of their possessions. Specifically, they need clothing, shoes, new pillows, and toiletry items, plus baby items like diapers and wipes. KGNB/KNBT has begun accepting those kinds of donations, and we’ll be delivering those donations to the main Smithville-based distribution center this week. Just bring those donations to the radio station here on Loop 337. No food items please.
And if you need more information about how to donate or volunteer in Bastrop County, call Megan Hancock at 512-304-8171. [end]
I’m watching this on TV and I am dumbstruck by the size and scope of this thing. I so fervently pray, Dear Lord, DO SOMETHING! PLEASE!
At least the winds have finally died down - but the relative humidity is still very low.
Total acres burned in Texas since Nov. 15, 2010: 3,601,775
http://inciweb.org/incident/article/2315/12993/
From what I have heard, the Bastrop fire is burning in the Lost Pines area, which is a unique stand of pine trees about 100 miles west of their normal range.
Great info Bump...
Thanks for the update thread.
Thanks so much for starting this thread!
Louisiana neighbor here...I’ve been praying for Texas for months now-and I’m not stopping anytime soon. Let’ get on our knees and repent and ask the Lord to open the heavens and shower Texas with His mercy in the form of rain. My prayers are with the firefighters, local police, mayors & Mr. Perry...The Lord grant them wisdom & mercy.
Prayers for Texas. I’ve dealt with wildfires when living in New Mexico, they can be sheer terror.
Have lots of cousins in east Texas (Tyler area) and west Texas (Odessa, Midland, out to El Paso).
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