SPRING PINE FIRE GROWS

BLAZE LIGHTS 46 PARK ACRES

Water drops called to contain overnight flames as ‘unseasonably hot’ temps extend burn ban

BASTROP — A wildfire that began Sunday night in Bastrop State Park burned through 46 acres and was 85% contained as of Monday afternoon with state air backup, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Officials said the Spring Pine Fire sparked near southeast Texas 21 and South Shore Road March 22 and has remained within Bastrop State Park property without any reported injuries or structural damage. Crews established a bulldozer line around the fire but cautioned that containment does not mean the blaze is fully extinguished.

“Having the line around it does not mean that it’s fully out. You still have to put hands on everything,” Assistant Chief Mark Wobus of Bastrop/ Travis County Emergency Services District No. 1 said.

Dozers worked through the night to contain the burn and allow engines to patrol along the fire’s edge. Crews checked nearby neighborhoods for any potential problems caused by embers blown over from the main fire.

Wobus said fire response is adjusted based on ground conditions, including weather and fire behavior, with crews scaling resources as needed or remaining on standby.

“My guess is that resources will maintain on this fire at least for the next several days, just simply because of where it’s at and the potential that it has,” Wobus said.

Officials said a helicopter from Texas Park and Wildlife conducted water drops throughout the day Monday on the most active areas of the fire. Mandatory evacuations issued Sunday night for the cabins in the state park and the Pines at Bastrop RV park have since been lifted.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.

Amidst the scene, Bastrop County commissioners voted Monday morning to extend the countywide burn ban through April 13.

Hillary Long with the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management said the Keetch-Byram Drought Index average was 593 as of Sunday, with fire danger rating expected to remain moderate to high with “unseasonably hot temperatures” and no rain in the forecast.

“With this information, the fire chiefs unanimously support extending the burn ban,” Long told commissioners.

The order, signed by Judge Gregory Klaus, prohibits outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county.