JohnD1956 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Here's hoping all our Texas friends, and all, indeed, are safe from these wildfires we are hearing about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I am fine, the majority of the fires are in West Texas.The one in Austin was way south of where I live.Send us some rain or its going to be a long summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 It already feels like summer...Bill is right, the "Austin" fire was about ten miles south of Austin. It was started by a homeless dude trying to cook his beanie-weenies. Fires get out of hand fast when you have only had three inches of rain in four months!Thanks John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 The first ones about a month or so ago were in ranchland south and west of Jacksboro (about 30 miles north of Mineral Wells).The most recent ones startred in the Possum Kingdom Lake area, northwest of Mineral Wells. In that area, it is highly-populated with cedar trees and mesquite trees mixed in. From what I understand, the cedars are highly incendary themselves, which makes them like a bottle of gasoline when a fire hits them. Not the easiest thing to extinguish on the rocky and hilly landscape out there. Several of the ranches out there had fire breaks along the fence lines, but the magnitude of these fires would easily send hot embers over them, especially with the way the winds have been . . . until today.There were also fires in the Wichita Falls area, too, and the ranchland south of there is where some of the earlier large-acreage fires were. There was a link on AOL's front page a few days ago about those fires. A link to an Abilene Reporter News article on a 105 year old man and his 100 year old (second) wife whose childhood homes were burned in those blazes. That was near Aspermont. They'll celebrate his 106th birthday soon, on the town square in Aspermont. A pretty nice article.There were also some fires farther west, toward Abilene, earlier-on. All of these seemed to begin or we became aware of them about the same time. Various reasons for them, it seems, from "sparking" electric lines due to the 40+ mph winds, or whatever. Some of the towns were evacuated, but most of those evac orders have been rescinded. The Possum Kingdom area is still sealed-off, though. Many high dollar resort homes in several subdivisions on the lake . . . even one which was accessible ONLY by water.Today was the first day it was not over 75 degrees. This afternoon, some mist has seemed to happen--not sure if it extends into the fire zone between Mineral Wells and Graham. Seems like that as soon as I heard of one fire on the radio, there were others not far behind in the particular newscast. I understand the whole situation has been classified as a "Level 1 Disaster" now. Firefighters from 34 states, including California.Thanks for the kind thoughts and concern. Not something we're used to seeing, in this magnitude, down here!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Thanks for the updates. I hope this changes for you soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 With as many goats and sheep as y'all have out there, how can there be anything to burn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Wool burns.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 With as many goats and sheep as y'all have out there, how can there be anything to burn?Mr. Earl, with all due respect, those "ranchland" areas are not populated with goats or (especially!) sheep. Mainly, cows with "wide horns" and other appropriate predatory animals (warm AND cold-blooded). Of course, if there are cows, there can be "guard donkeys" to help keep them safe. I somewhat doubt that goats and sheep would eat cedar or mesquite trees . . . just a gut suspicion . . . nor the cactus, either.The wetness which happened last evening did not cover the basic PK Fire Complex area, but the areas north of there. Cooler temps and higher humidity did help, though.I drove along the eastern edge of where one fire was, on SH 337 north of Graford. Up on "the mesa", the fire got right up to the highway, burning some fence posts in the process. It did get to the east side of the highway for a little ways. The grass and cactus were pretty much all that burned. The mesquite trees and cedars did not burn. Many of the cedars had "browned" lower branches and that was all. In other areas, it was more intense.Many of the roads are re-openned now. The local radio station cautioned about "sight seers" causing traffic problems, both in the burned areas and also in the command center where many of the larger equipment items were parked near Graham. Basically, "If you don't belong, don't go in there".Many federal operatives are now on the scene, too, with many BIG bull dozers which take a trailer with about 12 tires to haul them -- they are that big.Lots of donation drop-off places and donation drives in the area, both for displaced residents and also for the firefighters' supplies.Take care,NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Wool burns....So does Cabrito if you leave on the grill too long....Willis, I hadn't heard about the fires up your way. They are all over the state I guess.Come on rain.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 To all my Texas buds, I've been working late hours lately and am now only hearing of the extent of these fires. Please forgive me if I sounded a bit insensitive to the subject. Parts of Texas are covered in brushy woods much like Georgia. I don't even want to think about how fast fire could spread though such brush and how intense the fire could become. I hope you all are safe. I just got this from a friend that lives close to where some of the worse fires are. Here's what it looks like around here, folks!Texas wildfires: Million acres scorched, now towns are put on red alert | Mail Online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 [quote Willis, I hadn't heard about the fires up your way. They are all over the state I guess.Come on rain....For updates and maps, go to www.inciweb.org.LOTS more fires in TX than just in the hills west of Mineral Wells!Take care,NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 (edited) [quote Willis, I hadn't heard about the fires up your way. They are all over the state I guess.Come on rain....For updates and maps, go to www.inciweb.org.LOTS more fires in TX than just in the hills west of Mineral Wells!Take care,NTX5467"Come on Rain" Is heard frequently around here. Been so dry so long there is nothing for cattle to graze upon and last years hay has been pretty much consumed. One of our neighbors just sold off over 400 head of cattle simply because of no crazing and all but one of his stock tanks had dried up. I'll be pumping water in to our tank/pond a bit later today after I cut a fire break or two to reduce the possibility a grass/brush fire being accidentally started and getting out of control.Row crop farmers are basically screwed because the ground is so dry. I hand dug a post hole a few days ago and the ground is dry and hard to a depth of nearly three feet. Such is life when you are at the mercy of the elements!Jim Edited April 23, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 The fires are 100 miles west of me, but I could smell the smoke here and the sky was brown one afternoon a few days ago, which gives you an idea of how large the burning area must be.Today, Paul Meyer is the one I'm worried about. According to the news, several dozen homes were destroyed in Bridgeton, Missouri (where he lives) by last night's tornado that also hit the St. Louis airport. I sent him an e-mail asking if he was okay, and no reply 24 hrs. later. Of course, he could be without electric power so no e-mail.Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 (edited) Paul called Mike and Nancy Book yesterday.Paul and Mary Ann are ok. They had two tornados go near or over their property and lost all of their trees and also the 1963 Wildcat they owned, but Paul & Mary Ann are physically ok. Amazingly, their house did not receive damage.BTW Paul is 42Crazy on this forum and has a past President and current Board Member. Edited April 24, 2011 by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Thank God they are alright. Must have been some scary times. And they have a beautiful old home, thankfully it was was spared. Seems mother nature is showing her wrath upon us lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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