A wildfire in Bastrop County, Texas, has grown significantly in just a day. The fire is more than 600 acres in size and has resulted in a number of homes being evacuated in the immediate area. Read on to learn more details about the fire and to see photos and videos. Remember to stay tuned to local news if you are in the nearby vicinity, as details about the fire can change rapidly.
The fire started as part of a prescribed burn that was taking place at Bastrop State Park near the 100 block of Park Road 1A, KVUE reported. The burn was set for Tuesday, January 18. Strong winds caused the burn to break through the prescribed lines and spread to nearby trees, Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said. The fire began north of SH 71 and south of SH 21 in Bastrop at 100 Park Road 1A.
Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management shared a post on Monday on Facebook about the prescribed burn that they were planning to do.
As of 5:48 p.m. Central on January 18, the fire had grown to 630 acres, KVUE reported. Officials said the fire grew because of dry vegetation and strong north winds. The Texas Wildfire Incident Response System listed the fire as 10% contained as of the time of this article’s publication.
Power lines in the area are also being de-energized due to safety concerns, KVUE reported. Bluebonnet Coop said this includes areas near the fire in Bastrop County, and areas along Texas Highway 21 east of Bastrop State Park.
Bluebonnet Electric shared on Twitter that due to the fire, the network was unavailable, including outage reporting and the outage map.
Evacuation & Fire Maps for Rolling Pines Fire
Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management provided the following evacuation and fire maps for the Rolling Pines Fire. The map in orange shows the fire’s location and size, and the map in blue shows the evacuation regions.
KVUE reported the following evacuations as of 5:29 p.m. Central on January 18:
- Pine Hill Estates residents, including Pine Hill Drive and nearby roads
- Pine Tree Loop, Linda Lane, and Lisa Lane residents
- Homes between Boy Scout Camp and FM 1441 at Highway 21
- Bluebonnet, Sage, and Buckhorn streets, along with nearby roads
The Elgin Recreational Center at 361 State Highway 95 in Elgin, Texas, is being used as an evacuation shelter, Bastrop Emergency Management noted.
Here is another map showing the Rolling Pines Fire’s location. This shows the size of the fire when it first started and its original location:
Alert: Texas A&M Forest Service is responding to a request for assistance in Bastrop County on the #RollingPinesFire. The fire is an estimated 150 acres and 0% contained. The fire is currently very active and aviation resources have been ordered to assist. #txfire
Austin American Statesman is providing a map of this and other nearby fires here.
Texas Wildfire Incident Response System also provides a map of current fires here, including Rolling Pines. This is provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Livestock can be evacuated to the Bastrop Area Livestock Show Barn and Bastrop Rodeo Area. But residents are asked to call Jr. Tucker at 512-653-8903 or Hillary Long at 512-657-7056 before arriving, Bastrop Emergency Management requested.
Photos & Videos of the Rolling Pines Fire
A number of photos and videos are circulating showing the Bastrop County fire.
This aerial video from CBS Austin shows the fire:
Here is aerial video of the Bastrop Rolling Pines Fire. Evacuations have been ordered for nearby residents. INFO: t.co/0q1zd85T5E
Here are photos of the fire looking east-southeast from the Creedmoor/Mustang Ridge region.
View of the #RollingPinesFire from Creedmoor/Mustang Ridge (looking ESE)
Here’s another aerial photo of the fire.
The #RollingPinesFire sparked in Bastrop County, #Texas and has burned more than 300 acres.
Homes nearby are being evacuated. Winds gusting to 16 mph.
We saw the plume of smoke while flying into #Austin after wrapping up winter storm coverage. #TXwx
The fire has grown quickly in one day.
This next photo is from SH21 north of Norfolk Drive, shared Emily Borchard of Spectrum News.
A view of the #RollingPinesFire in Bastrop, TX from @SpectrumNews1TX photographer, Brent Desilets, just after 5 PM. #txwx
Location: SH21 just north of Norfolk Dr.
How to Stay Updated on the Fire
To stay updated on the fire’s location if you are in the region, follow the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management on Facebook here or your local news. Lone Star Incident Management Team on Facebook is also providing updates.