Texas Bush Fires

[Monash]

Firstly let me express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy - the fires have made the news here in Aus and we have firsthand experience with how bad such fires can be. Does anyone have any updates on the extent of the fires and the damage caused and what if anything is being done to help those affected?

[dave lukins]

Firstly let me express my condolences to the people affected by this tragedy - the fires have made the news here in Aus and we have firsthand experience with how bad such fires can be. Does anyone have any updates on the extent of the fires and the damage caused and what if anything is being done to help those affected?

It's devastating and people have sadly lost their lives. Latest news suggests that the Services have contained 30%.

WILDFIRE UPDATE: Bastrop blaze now 30 percent contained | kens5.com San Antonio

[BB61Vet]

Thanks Monash for your condolences. Most of Texas is on fire right now and firefighters have been working round the clock since the winds picked up last Sunday and they started in on a large scale. Area FD's have put out the call for voulenteers to assist, as well as donations of water or gatorade. The US Forestry Service is providing air drops of water to help contain the fires and backfires/fire breaks are being utilized in fighting them. It didn't get scary until 2 nights ago when one of the fires was just across the highway and railroad tracks from my neighborhood.

The big problem most of the citizenry face is smoke - it's so thick in the air this morning you could cut it with a butterknife, and it's wreaking havoc on those with respiratory issues.

All this is coming amidst the worst drought in recorded history - Texas is a giant tinderbox. The winds from the tropical storm that hit Louisiana added the final element and *WHAM* 3000 acres here, 1500 acres there, 30000 acres near Austin, and last night there were over 30 wildfires just in the area the local news services. Evacuations are happening, homes are being lost, as are lives. Here in Northeast Texas, there have only been 2 deaths so far, but those were tragic - a young lady and her infant daughter who didn't make it out before the fire engulfed their home. Nowhere to run, they stayed inside and died.

There are many, many fires which are zero percent contained, some that are 50%, and some that are 100% but reflashing.

I was going to link the story from my local news, but there's so many stories about it to read (and watch video of) that I'll just link the main TV station's website and you can pick and choose which you'd like to view. KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville | - KLTV.com

Oh, and be sure to get a chuckle about the guy who got busted with live lobsters stuffed down his shorts too...

[BB61Vet]

Sorry about the double-post, but I thought y'all might like a little update:

The fire near Austin is now the biggest in the state's history, having consumed over 120,000 acres and is still only 30% contained.

The fire in Cass and Marion counties is now the 2nd biggest, having consumed over 100,000 acres and is still completely out of control.

Most of the fires in my county have been put out and evacuees sent home, but we're having some major smoke issues here and it bloody well stinks outside.

Just found this as I was reading updates, and it's probably of interest to all of us military buffs. The headline reads: World War II fighter planes battle East Texas blazes Link here: http://www.kltv.com/story/15414931/w...t-texas-blazes Now that's a pretty cool thing to find. 2 Lockheed P2V's were flown in. One had mechanical issues, the other is busy dropping fire retardant.

There's also an interactive map of where the fires actually are right now on the home site for those interested.

[Versus]

Sorry about the double-post, but I thought y'all might like a little update:

The fire near Austin is now the biggest in the state's history, having consumed over 120,000 acres and is still only 30% contained.

The fire in Cass and Marion counties is now the 2nd biggest, having consumed over 100,000 acres and is still completely out of control.

Most of the fires in my county have been put out and evacuees sent home, but we're having some major smoke issues here and it bloody well stinks outside.

Just found this as I was reading updates, and it's probably of interest to all of us military buffs. The headline reads: World War II fighter planes battle East Texas blazes Link here: World War II fighter planes battle East Texas blazes - KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville | Now that's a pretty cool thing to find. 2 Lockheed P2V's were flown in. One had mechanical issues, the other is busy dropping fire retardant.

There's also an interactive map of where the fires actually are right now on the home site for those interested.

OMG,the rational and reasonable idea emerges....finally. You need to make larger tanks for fire retardant and use strategic bombers to deploy it. They poses payload,speed and are actually designed to drop stuff on the ground. They don't have to be bombs all the time.

[Doktor]

Are this fires man-made or the nature took it's course?

[BB61Vet]

There's been some speculation starting yesterday that about 3 of the fires were arson. If the one that killed that teenage girl and her daughter was, that's a capital offense in Texas. I hope they catch the monkey who was setting them and string them up by their gonads. There has been a "person of interest" detained over in Tyler.

[texasjohn]

Was that for the fires in Parker county? Luckily in DFW we don't have smoke. My backyard grass (St.Augustine) is turned to hay. Perfect fire material...:-(

[dave lukins]

Was that for the fires in Parker county? Luckily in DFW we don't have smoke. My backyard grass (St.Augustine) is turned to hay. Perfect fire material...:-(

Good to see you are safe TJ..keep it that way ;)

[BB61Vet]

Still more update: Fires are still popping up everywhere. We knew it was bad when the National Forest Service and National Park Service showed up with their fire teams. Today the Air Force stepped in, lending 4 C-130's to the cause. There's some good footage of one dropping flame retardant on a fire that sprung up north of town this morning on the TV station link I posted early on in the thread.