‘Extreme conditions’

spark Bastrop blaze, force evacuations

BASTROP — A Saturday afternoon blaze whipped by high winds near Camp Swift led to a call for residents to evacuate the area as firefighters and air crews fought to douse the flames.

At 3:55 p.m. March 8, the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management issued an alert for The Mouse Fire, with temporary evacuations ordered for residents located in the 200 block of LBA Drive south to Moon Mist Drive.

No injuries have been reported in the incident, which burned two acres east of Texas 95.

“We have not seen extreme wildfire risk like this in many years,” Bastrop/ Travis County ESD No. 1 said in a statement ahead of the Saturday conflagration. “(This week) is the perfect storm of bad weather events — high winds, low humidity, extreme drought, dormant fuels from the extreme cold in late February.”

According to officials, a bulldozer line was created about 6:20 p.m. around the entirety of the fire, but “active flames and spots coming from inside the perimeter” remained.

Roads near the area stayed closed due to a heavy presence of large firefighting equipment — but evacuated residents were allowed to return home shortly after 8 p.m., as the fire was 90% contained and prevented from growing past two acres, firefighters said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, although one witness told the Courier he heard a loud sound like an explosion.

“I came outside on the porch,” said Elisha Gonzalez. “I (saw) a big fire. Boom! Big explosion. I got scared.”

Two structures on a single property were reportedly destroyed in the event. Containment efforts continued overnight as “embers from the flames (were) still spotting over the road into neighboring properties,” which firefighters patrolled for and extinguished, according to an official release.

Three single-engine air tankers were called in to disperse retardant around the perimeter of the fire and crews engaged in heavy mop up, the Office of Emergency Management said, fully containing the fire by 3 p.m. March 9.

While no burn ban is currently in effect for Bastrop County, the National Weather Service continues to issue intermittent red flag warnings and wind advisory notices.

Red flag warnings indicate that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly, according to the department. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior.

Gusts reached up to 50 mph throughout the week, Texas A&M Forest Service reported.

Any wildfires that start could rapidly increase in size and intensity, and move quickly, the ESD added, asking residents to refrain from outdoor burns and “Be extremely vigilant and mindful of anything that could spark a fire.”

The Mouse Fire witness Elisha Gonzalez says he stepped outside to big flames after hearing what sounded like a loud explosion March 8. The cause of the blaze, which burned two acres near Camp Swift, remains under investigation.

Photo by Sarah Walker