Dubbed the “Reverse Fire,” it burned 79 acres and is fully contained as of Wednesday evening.
FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — A wildfire that sparked west of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County is now 100% contained after burning dozens of acres as of Wednesday night, according to officials with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Fire officials in the area say it started around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in Harper, Texas, and was moving eastward.
Dubbed the “Reverse Fire,” fire officials said it was caused by burning debris, which is common in rural areas but especially dangerous in current hot and dry conditions. It burned 79 acres, according to officials.
“That could be anything from trash to downed limbs, brush, that sort of thing,” said a public information officer at the scene.
The area’s dry brush, left behind from a major freeze several years ago created ideal conditions for the fire to spread quickly. With temperatures topping 100 degrees this week, firefighters were also battling extreme heat while working to establish containment lines.
Containment refers to the extent to which responders have been able to cut it off from material allowing it to grow, not necessarily how much of it has been extinguished.
“Obviously wearing all of that firefighter gear, add some weight, add some heat. With temperatures above 100 degrees today, that’s probably one of the major concerns for our staff,” the officer added.
Multiple fire crews from across the county and region as well as the Texas A&M Forest Service, including two bulldozers, worked to stop the fire’s forward progress and establish containment lines. Crews also utilized a drone and helicopter to direct crews on the ground.
“This is a quickly moving fire that could have gotten out of control and the coordinated effort allowed it to get under control rather quickly and hopefully be fully contained by the end of the day into tomorrow,” the officer said.
Despite the fire’s rapid spread, no injuries or structural damage have been reported.