Approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 14th, a call for assist by San Saba County Volunteer Fire Departments came over the scanner about a wildfire in Mills County. According to Larry Hanrahan, SSVFD Public Relations Officer, a brush truck and two-man crew were immediately dispatched to Mills County for assistance.
Now named the 3 Oaks fire, this wildfire is still burning at the time of writing this article. It is located in the southeastern part of Mills County and covers approximately 6,000 acres.
According to the InciWeb site (Incident Information System), high winds and a large amount of readily available “fuels for the fire,” have made this wildfire hard to control and is only contained about 50% on Tuesday, March 15th, at noon.
Juniper and oak trees, along with tall grass and brush, are considered “fuels” that are energy sources for fires. The location of the 3 Oaks fire is inundated with all of the above listed fuels.
Captain Jack Blossman of the SSVFD stated a large group of area fire departments responded to the call to fight the dreaded out-of-control fire. In addition to fire departments, Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System reacted in strong support of the area fighters. Even aerial support performing drops was on location to help jumpstart firefighting efforts on the ground.
Although one structure in the 3 Oaks fire was damaged, firefighters were able to save it. On the other hand, a hunting camp was a complete loss.
The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates full containment of the 3 Oaks fire to be Friday, March 18, 2022, at approximately 05:00 p.m. as noted on the InciWeb site.
Another large wildfire being fought at this time is the Crews Gap blaze on the Runnels and Coleman Counties’ lines. This fire covers approximately 5,500 acres.
Crews Gap was also initially reported March 14th, and close to the time of the 3 Oaks fire at about 3:00 p.m. It, too, has plenty of grass, Juniper, and Oak for its fuel. Containment has reached 60% at the time of this writing.
The crux of this information is to alert everyone of the dangers of ignoring a county’s Burn Ban or being reckless while starting or using fires to burn trash or wood/yard debris, or anything that could act as a fuel to start an out-of-control fire, especially due to the drought situation and recent high winds. According to a study based on data from Wildland Fire Management Information and U.S. Forest Service Research Data Archive, almost “85 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.”
What is interesting, too, is the unusual number of local structure fires lately. There have been a number of houses completely destroyed by fire, as well as a huge building located downtown Richland Springs. All this has occurred over the last couple of months.
And, what is really interesting is that summer isn’t even here yet! That is when the conditions in the Hill Country get really hot and dry. . . resulting in a setting that adds even more “fuel to the fire!” So, with this said, the image of Smokey the Bear comes into mind, saying: “Only you can prevent wildfires!”
Last, but not least, is an additional area of prevention or intervention which needs all of our attention, too. That is, the needs of our hardworking and self-sacrificing volunteer firefighters, EMS, and Sheriff’s and Police Departments.
Keep in mind that in the event of emergencies (fires, wrecks, accidents, etc.), sometimes all of these frontline responders attend to the same incidents. Thus, all need our attention such as praise, prayers, food, water, comfort, and a “helping hand” on occasion.
Following this further, let us be encouraged and energized to seek to meet the needs of our First Responders by finding out what would best replenish – or relieve – used supplies, damaged goods, depleted budgets, tired bodies, troubled minds, worried family members, and the list goes on. Maybe, our heroes just need some bottled water or electrolyte solution, or even nutritional supplements like cookies, cakes, pies, etc.! You have been challenged.
Here’s the website to find out information and status on fires, prescribed or wild, throughout the United States: <https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7998/67841/>.