Wildfire Response - Bastrop County
As of September 29th, 2023, a total of 32 significant wildfires have scorched 365,438 acres across nine states. New large wildfires have emerged in Colorado and Utah. The collective firefighting effort involves approximately 5,200 wildland firefighters and support personnel nationwide. This includes nine incident management teams, 98 crews, 213 engines, and 42 helicopters, all working tirelessly to combat these blazes.
Heading into the fall season, fire activity continues to persist in multiple states. It is crucial for everyone to play their part in wildfire prevention. Whether you are working on creating a defensible space around your home, tending to your lawn, or using equipment like lawnmowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors, or trimmers in a wildland area, it's imperative to exercise responsibility and caution, as these tools can potentially spark a wildfire.
Comparing the current year to the same time last year, there is a notable difference in wildfire occurrences. In the year prior, firefighters battled 1,566 wildfires across the state. However, in 2023, only 447 wildfires have been reported up to this point, based on data from the Texas A&M Forest Service. This decrease in wildfire numbers can be attributed to the fact that, despite the increased heat compared to the previous year, drought conditions have not worsened.
The Texas Firewalkers Disaster Response Team consistently plays a crucial role in supporting first responders during prolonged wildfire incidents. Our primary mission is to provide hot meals at fire scenes, not only to boost the morale of the dedicated crews on the fire line but also to actively contribute to extinguishing the flames.
Below, you can browse through images captured during our deployment to the Pine Pond Fire in August 2023, which took place in Bastrop County. We received a request from the Fire Chief on the scene, and within a mere 1.5 hours, our team arrived to serve over 200 staff members working tirelessly to combat the fire. We owe our success to our invaluable partners, including H.E.B (Bastrop, Texas), Hudson Meat Market (Austin, Texas), and others who generously supported us during this deployment and countless other wildland fire incidents where the Texas Firewalkers collaborated to assist in deploying and feeding these dedicated first responders.
Heading into the fall season, fire activity continues to persist in multiple states. It is crucial for everyone to play their part in wildfire prevention. Whether you are working on creating a defensible space around your home, tending to your lawn, or using equipment like lawnmowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors, or trimmers in a wildland area, it's imperative to exercise responsibility and caution, as these tools can potentially spark a wildfire.
Comparing the current year to the same time last year, there is a notable difference in wildfire occurrences. In the year prior, firefighters battled 1,566 wildfires across the state. However, in 2023, only 447 wildfires have been reported up to this point, based on data from the Texas A&M Forest Service. This decrease in wildfire numbers can be attributed to the fact that, despite the increased heat compared to the previous year, drought conditions have not worsened.
The Texas Firewalkers Disaster Response Team consistently plays a crucial role in supporting first responders during prolonged wildfire incidents. Our primary mission is to provide hot meals at fire scenes, not only to boost the morale of the dedicated crews on the fire line but also to actively contribute to extinguishing the flames.
Below, you can browse through images captured during our deployment to the Pine Pond Fire in August 2023, which took place in Bastrop County. We received a request from the Fire Chief on the scene, and within a mere 1.5 hours, our team arrived to serve over 200 staff members working tirelessly to combat the fire. We owe our success to our invaluable partners, including H.E.B (Bastrop, Texas), Hudson Meat Market (Austin, Texas), and others who generously supported us during this deployment and countless other wildland fire incidents where the Texas Firewalkers collaborated to assist in deploying and feeding these dedicated first responders.
In this video. my fellow firefighter brother Scott Hardy put together an inside video on wildland fires where most will never see!