The greater Austin area is burning. Many fires are breaking out. Some 16,000+ acres in Bastrop (east of Austin), 300-400 homes estimated destroyed. Lots of evacuations, other things. The increased winds not only are fanning the flames but taking humidity out of the air.
What gets me?
Much of this could have been prevented. Just about every fire I’ve heard about (these new ones or ones throughout this past summer) were started by something that could have been avoided. I know one up north of us yesterday was started because someone left their grill unattended. I read this morning another was started because some girl was burning love letters.
Yes people… it can happen to you. You are not so safe in your practices that somehow you are the exception to the rules of nature and physics.
I know it’s Labor Day. I know we’re all excited because the temperatures are cooler. But we’re still in the worst drought ever. We’re in conditions just ripe for fires — witness what’s burning this morning! I know that burgers taste better cooked over an open flame, but uh… these aren’t the sort of open flames we want. Folks, your burger isn’t that important.
Please, don’t have outdoor fires, even in bbq pits because embers can and do escape.
Please, don’t throw your cigarette butts on the ground or out your car window. Many fires start that way.
We were going to go shopping for clothing for the kiddos today, but instead we’re going to prep some things around the homefront, just in case.
Stay safe.
Stuff From Hsoi 
You can see the plume on radar, it’s that thick. Stay safe up there.
Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. 😦
So far I’m OK… the fires are mostly outside of town. But the folks getting hit? It’s devastating. 😦 I’m waiting to see what further news comes out about donations: what’s needed, where to drop off, etc..
The land that I bought (and later sold, before building a house on it, when leaving the Austin area) is in the area where a lot of the destroyed homes are, if the news reports that I’m seeing are correct. It’s a beautiful part of Texas with all of the pine trees. It is a shame to see it burn. I was sad that I didn’t get to build a house out there and I hope the people that we sold the land to escaped damage, but that seems unlikely.
I, personally, believe that the overwhelming majority of wildfires are started by careless smokers; but some news reports are attributing this one to downed power lines causing sparks.
Funny you mention that. When we were shopping for homes that ultimately landed us in the house we’re in now, we were looking out in Bastrop in numerous areas that are evacuated and possibly hit by the fires. Can’t say for sure… reports aren’t really in other than gross numbers. But yeah… that felt kinda sobering to think we might be out of a home right now. 😦 The Bastrop and Cedar Creek areas are just devastated with no signs of getting better. I hope the winds will die down in short order and that that will help things.
I think the Steiner Ranch fire is being reported as having started by overhead power lines (tho I don’t know more than that). I know some stuff has been started by careless people… I read one thing about some girl burning some love letters, I know people have been grilling/BBQ’ing. Most of the fires I’ve encoutered have been due to carelessness… entirely preventable.
Just posted this morning, callout for an illegal trash burn five minutes after the all call for the out of control fire in south Grimes County. Special kind of stupid right there.
Yeah, I read that on your blog. Un-fucking-real.
I’m no longer surprised to learn how stupid people can be; just more depressed when I discover new lows.