FREDERICKSBURG, Texas – UPDATE: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 18
Although the Crabapple Fire is 90% contained, the blaze has burned an estimated 9,858 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The current affected area stretches from Lower Crabapple Road to Farm-to-Market Road 1631.
Crews battling the fire will have to deal with windy conditions on Tuesday, with even more high winds expected on Wednesday.
“Overnight, our crews continued to put out flare-ups as that arose,” Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell said in the release. “They faced fewer areas of concern than previous nights. Today, we will again battle windy conditions. We ask that everyone continues to be overly cautious with anything that could start a fire.”
Donations to firefighters are not currently needed, the news release said.
For questions about donations for livestock and ranchers, the public can call 830-988-6173.
The joint news release said the firefighter who was injured had since been released.
The Crabapple Fire began around 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, about 11 miles north of Fredericksburg.
>> TIMELINE: What we know about Gillespie County’s Crabapple Fire
Nine homes were destroyed due to the flames, with seven occupied and two others vacant. Two other residences were damaged, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Additionally, 20 buildings were destroyed, and four others were described as damaged.
“These damage assessment numbers, unfortunately, confirm what our crews were seeing on the ground,” Bizzell said. “You hate to lose any structure, and our thoughts are with those that lost property. Structures were our priority from the start of the fire, and without the efforts of our crews, the numbers could have been much higher, but unfortunately, we could not save everything.”
There are no air quality concerns at this time.
Kiley Moran from the Texas A&M Forest Service told KSAT on Sunday that there is currently no estimated timeframe for when the fire could be extinguished.
“With a fire of this size, it’s most likely going to be several days before it gets to 100%” contained,” he said.
Shelter closed on Monday
Gillespie County Judge Daniel Jones on Saturday issued a declaration of disaster, allowing officials to evacuate, close roads and control ingress and egress as needed, the city said.
On Saturday, officials started evacuating residents on a home-by-home basis.
A Red Cross shelter opened in Fredericksburg at Zion Lutheran Church, but it closed on Monday.
They served seven people and are keeping the ability to reopen if necessary.
How to help
Food, water and other supply donations are not needed as of Monday morning.
The City of Fredericksburg said the Crabapple Fire significantly affected ranchers and livestock owners in Gillespie County.
To support recovery efforts, the Gillespie County Fairgrounds at 530 Fair Drive in Fredericksburg is serving as a collection point for hay, feed, and fencing supplies for impacted cattle, sheep, and goats.
Donations can also be coordinated through Behrends Feed & Fertilizer, Lochte Feed and General Store, and Allied Ag Services Inc.
For more information, contact 830-988-6173.
Streets reopen
As of 7:30 a.m. Monday, all roads have reopened to any necessary travel.
“As crews continue to work, everyone is asked to avoid the area unless it is necessary,” a news release states. ”People traveling through the area should listen to crews on the ground about access. People that have evacuated there home should not return yet.”
Windy conditions fueled the fire, Texas A&M Forest Service says
Moran told KSAT Saturday that the wind made it difficult to control the wildfire.
Moran indicated that windy conditions are expected to persist over the next few days and urged the public to help prevent potential fire hazards.
“Please don’t do anything that may cause heat or spark so that these wildfires don’t happen,” Moran said. “Because as we’ve seen, they grow very quickly.”
The City of Fredericksburg previously said Central Texas Electric cut the power to the fire-affected area as a precaution.
Kendall County has sent crews from Alamo Springs, Sisterdale, Boerne and the Kendall County Emergency Management Office to fight the flames.
The Boerne Fire Department is also assisting crews at the scene.
This is a developing story. KSAT will update you once more information becomes available.
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