A Central Texas wildfire grew to more than 4,000 acres on Oct. 15, and at least 400 homes have been evacuated according to the Bastrop County Emergency Management Agency.
The Texas A&M Forest Service had said the blaze that began in Bastrop County on Oct. 13 was 50 percent contained by the following day. But by the afternoon on Oct. 15, the Hidden Pines Fire had grown to 4,383 acres and was said to be 15 percent contained.
Spokeswoman Jessica Jackson said fire retardant dropped from aircraft helped save the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Science Park.
Jackson said firefighters saved at least nine homes.
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department closed Buescher State Park on Wednesday due to the fire.
Bastrop County, 30 miles east of Austin, has had low humidity and sparse rainfall. Forecasters predict highs in the 90s with gusts of up to 10 mph through Oct. 16.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster in Bastrop County due to the wildfires there. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) request, meaning that Texas will be eligible for 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government for costs associated with fighting the fires, the governor’s office said.
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