TX Prescribed Burn Forces Evacuations

Jan. 19, 2022

A prescribed burn in Central Texas has swelled to hundreds of acres, forcing residents to evacuate while crews battled the out-of-control wildfire.

By Annie Blanks

Source San Antonio Express-News (TNS)

Officials work to control the Rolling Pines Fire that forced evacuations and swelled to over 600 acres.

Emergency crews are working to extinguish a quickly spreading wildfire that has prompted multiple evacuations in Bastrop County.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Rolling Pines Fire began Tuesday afternoon and has been "very active" since then. The fire grew from 150 acres to about 640 acres as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and was zero percent contained, according to the service and Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape.

Pape said during a news conference that 150 acres had been scheduled for a controlled burn by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Alex Bregenzer, a public information officer for Texas Forest Service, said the cause of the fire is under investigation and that the blaze is expected to continue spreading into the evening hours. So far, there have been no injuries or structures damaged, he said.

"At this point, we are still working on containment lines and other efforts to stop the fire, but it is still an active situation," he said.

Bastrop County is just southeast of Travis County.

Residents who live along Pine Tree Loop, Linda Lane, Lisa Lane and Pine Hill Drive have been asked to evacuate due to the quickly spreading flames, according to Bastrop County Department of Emergency Management.

About 250 families have been asked to evacuate because their homes were in the direct path of the fire, Pape said. A shelter has been set up for evacuees at the Elgin Parks and Recreation Center, at 361 Texas 95 North.

The fire was moving along Power Plant Road at 4:05 p.m., and several surrounding roads were closed as crews moved into the area to fight the fire. A temporary flight restriction was initiated at about 4:30 Tuesday so that aircraft could make water and flame retardant drops over the area.

The Bastrop State Park posted on Facebook on Monday that it would be conducting prescribed burns in the state park on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and possibly Wednesday, Jan. 19. It posted at 11:10 a.m. Tuesday that "test ignitions have begun."

The current evacuation areas are about 5 miles from Bastrop State Park.

No burn ban was in effect for Bastrop County on Tuesday, although the Texas A&M Forest Service tweeted midday Tuesday that wildfire danger was anticipated in the area due to "warm, dry and windy conditions" in the forecast.

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