You probably noticed that the Central Texas area where I live was ravaged by out-of-control wildfires over the Labor Day weekend, and several large fires continue to burn as this is written. Most of Texas has been in a record drought all year. We also set a new all-time record for days above 100 degrees this summer (over 80 days), and temps have been brutal at 105-112 in recent weeks. It felt like Phoenix in the summer!
Making matters worse, the hurricane that hit New Orleans last week created above normal winds in Central Texas. So conditions were perfect for wildfires, and fires broke out in several locations within an hour of Austin over the weekend. Because of the 30-40 mile per hour sustained winds, these fires were next to impossible to get under control.
My family and I live outside of Austin on beautiful Lake Travis. On Sunday afternoon, a large wildfire broke out just a few miles (five minutes) west of my home. The fire continued to burn all night Sunday and all day on Monday. At one point the fire had consumed over 12 square miles of land, and it destroyed or badly damaged over 40 homes.
(Click image for a larger version.)
A much larger fire (pictured above) developed at the same time near the city of Bastrop, just 25 miles southeast of Austin. This massive fire burned over 40,000 acres of land and destroyed over 1,500 homes, making it one of the worst wildfires in Texas history. This fire is still not even 50% contained as this is written.
Needless to say, Labor Day weekend was a stressful time for us. At least our two kids are away at college. Fortunately, the first cold front of the season has arrived, and temperatures have declined from 100+ to the mid-90s, but there is still no rain on the horizon. Thus, there is still the chance for more wildfires in the days and weeks just ahead.
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