With Davis Mountains wildfire 85% contained, crews prepare to scale down response
More progress on wildfire, now 85% contained, despite Thursday’s strong winds
Fire officials on Friday reported more progress on the Solar Park Fire burning in Jeff Davis County, with the fire now 85% contained and its burn area remaining at about 2,800 acres despite extreme winds across West Texas the day before.
The Fort Davis Fire Department said in a Facebook post that while the high winds prevented firefighters from working in some of the fire’s higher elevation areas, there was “no fire spread” reported.
“There is no fire on the perimeter but there are hot spots remaining within the interior,” the department said.
The Texas A&M Forest Service said crews will continue to patrol the fire’s burn area for “hotspots” on Friday, though officials have said they are preparing to scale down their response to the fire soon.
“The goal today is to mitigate the remaining hot spots and smoldering trees that could present a source of sparks or flying embers,” the Fort Davis Fire Department said in its latest update. “This work will continue over the weekend.”
With fire 75% contained and no growth in perimeter, crews prepare to demobilize
Despite extreme winds across West Texas on Thursday, firefighters are getting ready to scale down their response to the Solar Park Fire still burning in Jeff Davis County, as changing wind directions, cooler temperatures and higher humidity have eased concerns about the fire spreading.
The fire has not grown in size in two days, hovering around 2,8000 acres, and crews have remained focused on interior parts of the fire, officials said.
“There are a few hot spots, mostly in the deep interior, but the ones close to the edge have been put out,” said Jim Fowler, spokesperson for the Fort Davis Fire Department.
“If the fire holds, and no new fires start, then we will start [demobilizing] crews,” Fowler said.
The fire is still not threatening any structures or people, he said.
While Fowler said officials are at this point “not really concerned” about the Solar Park Fire, they remain on the lookout for any new fires that might break out amid Thursday’s heavy winds.
According to the National Weather Service, winds across West Texas should begin to weaken late Thursday night into Friday, with calmer and cooler conditions expected heading into the weekend.
Extreme winds primary concern for fire crews battling wildfire in the Davis Mountains
Firefighters have made progress on the wildfire burning in the Davis Mountains, with the fire 65% contained.
Officials said cooler conditions have helped and that the Solar Park Fire's burn area did not grow overnight on Wednesday and it remains near 2,800 acres. The fire is not currently threatening any structures or people.
Local firefighters and Texas A&M Forest Service fire crews have been working to get the blaze under control before gusty winds blow through the region, which could cause the fire to flare up.
"They've really worked at getting the fire as cold as possible prior to the high winds coming in," said Jim Fowler, spokesperson for the Fort Davis Fire Department. "That was the main objective."
Fowler said there are "a few interior hot spots" crews will focus on.
Today, wind gusts are expected to reach up to 50 to 60 mph, with forecasters expecting much higher winds in the mountains.
A High Wind Warning is in effect through midnight for most of West Texas and Southeast New Mexico. A Wind Advisory is in effect late this morning through early evening for Borden, Dawson, Gaines, Mitchell, Scurry, and northern and central Lea Counties. #txwx #nmwx pic.twitter.com/2W5DKwpbKy
— NWS Midland (@NWSMidland) March 2, 2023
Heavy winds are expected to reach the Big Bend region by Thursday morning with the strongest winds expected by the afternoon. The National Weather Service said it will remain windy through the evening, but winds should begin to die down by midnight.
Fowler said if there isn't any "activity" on the fire Thursday "and we don't have any new breakouts," then he expects crews with the Texas A&M Forest Service will begin to demobilize.
Firefighters prepare to station crews in Limpia Crossing if fire flares up in gusty winds
Firefighters are planning to station resources in Limpia Crossing, a residential development in Jeff Davis County, if forecasted gusty winds on Wednesday or Thursday cause a wildfire still burning in the area to flare up.
Officials said the Solar Park Fire was 50% contained as of Wednesday morning and did not spread overnight Tuesday, but crews are still bracing for the possibility that gusty winds this week could prevent firefighters from containing the flames more. The fire’s burned area remained at about 2,800 acres as of Wednesday morning.
If the winds get too strong today or tomorrow, firefighters “will not be able to control any breakout if they occur,” the Fort Davis Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
If that happens, the department said, firefighters would “come down off the hilltops” and re-group into two task forces, with one stationed to protect Limpia Crossing.
“There should not be too much of a threat to Limpia, but we just want to ensure, because the [fire] line is very close to the houses and structures there,” said Jim Fowler, spokesperson for the Fort Davis Fire Department. “It’s a contingency plan, if the winds get up.”
For now, the fire is not threatening any structures in the area, Fowler said.
Due to strong winds and very dry conditions, we're expecting critical to extreme fire weather conditions across a large portion of the area both today & tomorrow. Please avoid any outdoor activities that may create a flame or spark and properly dispose of cigarettes!! #txwx #nmwx pic.twitter.com/ncWnG8dJ9Y
— NWS Midland (@NWSMidland) March 1, 2023
The National Weather Service is warning of “extreme” fire danger across West Texas Wednesday and Thursday because of gusty winds, low humidity and warmer-than-usual temperatures. Forecasters said the Davis Mountains could see regular winds from 35 to 55 mph through Thursday with gusts up to 80 mph.
Crews make progress on Davis Mountains wildfire, but brace for more gusty winds this week
Firefighters on Tuesday made progress on a wildfire that broke out over the weekend in the Davis Mountains of Jeff Davis County, with the fire now 25% contained.
The fire’s burn area remained at about 2,800 acres Tuesday afternoon, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Update: the #SolarParkFire in Jeff Davis County is an estimated 2,800 acres and 25% contained. Crews are engaged in patrol/mop up. Critical fire weather is forecast for the area today, and firefighters will monitor the fire to ensure there are no issues with containment. #txfire
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) February 28, 2023
“We don’t have any fire on the perimeter,” said Fort Davis Fire Department spokesperson Jim Fowler. “But we are trying to get out the multiple hot spots in the center, because we are expecting high winds tomorrow and Thursday, and we don’t want any of the fire to jump the lines and start running off on us again.”
The National Weather Service is warning of another extremely windy day on Thursday, when wind speeds could rival those seen on Sunday when the fire first broke out because of a downed power line.
Fowler said the weather forecast remains the “major concern” and that “all the work today is focused on what’s going to happen on Thursday.”
Crews from the Texas A&M Forest Service are leading the firefighting work, Fowler said, with about 50 forest service personnel on the scene along with two local fire fighting units.
Fowler said even if crews make significant progress on the fire today or Wednesday, they’ll remain in the area to monitor the situation through at least Thursday because of the forecast for intense winds.
The fire is still not posing a threat to people, the observatory or any other structures in the area, Fowler said.
With much of Texas seeing increased fire danger this week, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he was directing the Texas Division of Emergency Management to mobilize a variety of firefighting resources focused in West Texas, the Panhandle and other parts of the state.
“As we continue to monitor wildfire activity and critical fire weather conditions, Texans are encouraged to heed the guidance of local officials and follow wildfire safety tips to keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” Abbott said in a statement.
Fire crews gear up for long fight as conditions worsen
Improved mapping of the Solar Park Fire shows the fire’s range is closer to 2,800 acres.
As of Tuesday morning, fire officials said the wildfire is 10% contained. Additional support crews with the Texas A&M Forest Service have arrived to help fight the fire, which started Sunday after heavy winds knocked down an electrical pole near Highway 118 in the Davis Mountains.
“Most of the operations will be conducted by [Texas A&M Forest Service firefighters] today so that the volunteers can rest up and prepare for any additional new fires that might occur,” said Fort Davis Fire Department spokesperson Jim Fowler.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning, meaning critical fire danger, for much of West Texas, including Jeff Davis County.
Update: the #SolarParkFire in Jeff Davis County remains an estimated 2,800 acres and 10% contained. Crews will work to map the fire perimeter today. They will focus on areas of concern and securing the edge of the fire where safe to do so. #txfire
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) February 28, 2023
Forecasters expect heavy winds to return
Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Midland said Monday that they expect the week to remain fairly windy in West Texas.
"A potent storm system will bring strong, damaging winds to much of the area Thursday afternoon and evening," reads a forecast briefing from the National Weather Service.
The weather service said it's unclear right now where the strongest winds will be and just how intense they will get, but expect it could be similar to what the region saw Sunday, which led to downed power lines in the Fort Davis area.
Winds remain a concern for fire crews responding to the Solar Park Fire in the Davis Mountains.
According to the Fort Davis Fire Department, efforts to contain the fire are focused on keeping the blaze from spreading to rugged, hard-to-reach areas.
Officials say firefighters responding to the Solar Park Fire are preparing to continue fighting the wildfire over the next several days.
Solar Park Fire in Davis Mountains grows to 2,000 acres
Firefighters are working to contain a wildfire in Jeff Davis County that was sparked by downed power linesover the weekend.
The wildfire, dubbed the Solar Park Fire, is burning through rugged and remote terrain in the Davis Mountains. As of Monday afternoon, fire officials estimated the fire had spread across 2,000 acres and was 10% contained.
According to Jim Fowler, the spokesperson for the Fort Davis Fire Department, it’s not clear how long it will take to get the fire under control, but he said crews are "gearing up for a multi-day effort."
“It will all depend on what resources we can get, where we can deploy them and how effective they are," said Fowler. "If we cannot get it fully contained by Thursday then we have potential for a breakout.”
The National Weather Service is predicting "strong, damaging" winds could sweep through the Big Bend region by Thursday, which could cause the wildfire to spread even further.
Fire crews are currently focusing on preventing the blaze from moving into hard to reach areas in the mountain range.
Fowler said, "The main concern is the fire getting into the heavier canyons to the east, which will be more difficult to fight."
Multiple fire crews are responding to the Solar Park Fire, including firefighters with the Texas A&M Forest Service .
As of Monday, Fowler said additional ground support from the state has been requested to help battle the blaze.