As of Tuesday morning, officials say the Scenic Loop Complex Fires that have been burning in the Davis Mountains since early June are 100% contained.
On day 9, fire officials have mapped the combined footprint of the fires at 19,444 acres, nearly a 7,000 acre decrease from the last official estimate Monday morning. They say an infrared mapping operation Monday night provided a more accurate picture of the scope of the fire.
Much of the burned up acreage is within the boundaries of the Davis Mountains Preserve. According to The Nature Conservancy, the fire caused minimal loss to the lands affected.
The Scenic Loop Complex Fires began on June 3, when a lightning storm sparked 18 individual starts in Jeff Davis County. Fire officials eventually named 7 of them. Here’s a complete breakdown of the individual fires’ footprints and their containment as of Tuesday morning.
48 Tank – 939 acres, 100 percent contained
Bear Mountain – 8,036 acres, 100 percent contained
Brooks – 104 acres, 100 percent contained
Jones/Phillips & Rincon – 907 acres, 100 percent contained
Long X2 – 8,602 acres, 100 percent contained
Rincon – 16 acres, 100 percent contained
Windmill – 856 acres, 100 percent contained
Personnel from across the country have been fighting the fires for the last 9 days. A federal incident management team is coordinating ground operations, and will remain in the area while responders finish mopping up any lingering hotspots.
Officials say despite the sense of relief on the ground, responders and community members are mourning the loss of Weatherford firefighter Richard "Andy" Loller, Jr., who passed away Sunday after suffering a medical emergency while fighting the fires here in West Texas.
