Fredericksburg Fire and EMS officials said in an 11 a.m. update on Wednesday that roughly 100 personnel are still on scene and the fire is 40% contained. Warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds of up to 30 miles per hour continue to impress a high fire danger in the region through Thursday, February 26 as a dry cold front is expected to moves into the area.
Emergency officials in the Texas Hill Country are requesting additional resources from the state to help fight a fire that has already burned through 1,160 acres as of Wednesday morning, February 25.
Officials say the fire, which began Tuesday afternoon, is 35% contained. It is burning in an area known as Nebo Mountain, about 16 miles north of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County. Authorities said strong winds have helped fuel the fire.
The Fredericksburg/Gillespie County-TX Emergency Management office said via a Facebook post Wednesday morning that a disaster declaration has been issued to the state to request additional fire suppression resources and tools.
The Gillespie County Emergency Operations Center has been activated to help crews suppress the fire.
The fire began near the 600 block of Exxon Road near Highway 16 northwest of Willow City, growing from 2 acres to 125 in less than four hours. By midnight Wednesday, the fire had hit 1,000 acres.
Texas A&M Forest Service resources deployed airborne fire suppression planes to assist in containing and extinguishing the fire, which has spread through rocky terrain in some areas, according to officials. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is also helping with the response and recovery efforts.
No structures are threatened at this time, officials said. Overnight fire containment lines held up due to improved weather conditions, and officials say no residential structures have been lost as of now.
This story will be updated when more information is available.