Oak Grove Fire in Hays County grows to 400 acres, 90% contained as of Tuesday
This story was updated at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday to reflect a change in the containment percentage. This is a developing story and information will be updated as it's provided.
The Oak Grove Fire in Hays County had grown to 400 acres since it started Saturday and is 90% contained as of Tuesday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
At least 12 homes were evacuated Saturday, but Walter Flocke of the Texas A&M Forest Service said residents had been allowed to return home. He said the total number of evacuees had not been confirmed because there was never a blanket evacuation order.
More: Smoke from the Oak Grove Fire in Hays County can be seen from space
No injuries had been reported, Flocke said. One home was destroyed by the fire, officials said. There was no timeline as to when the fire would be fully contained, as critical fire weather conditions continued in the area.
Officials w/Hays Co. Fire Marshal’s Office, Hays Co. Office of Emergency Mgmt & Texas A&M Forest Service have confirmed today, that 1 residence & a number of outbuildings, were destroyed on the #OakGroveFire. Officials will continue to assess reports of damages & provide updates.
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) August 6, 2023
"Hopefully we will see containment increasing throughout the day, but there's no firm timeline on when this will be 100%," Flocke said Sunday.
More than 70 people were working the fire Sunday, he said. Heavy equipment, hand crews and water drops from the Air National Guard were being used to help mitigate the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.
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The National Weather Service placed most of Central Texas under a red flag warning for fire danger Sunday, the highest level of fire danger.
During these conditions, people need to be aware, as nearly 90% of fires in Texas are caused by humans, Flocke said. Fifty percent of those are caused by use of equipment such as lawnmowers, electric saws, chain saws or welders, or by driving over tall grass. Essentially, the equipment heats up or produces sparks, setting dry vegetation on fire.
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Smoke plume from the #OakGroveFire in Hays County can be seen on GOES-East visible satellite imagery. pic.twitter.com/NhUJU1JksG
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) August 6, 2023
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Update: Oak Grove Fire in Hays County at 400 acres, 90% containment
