The “Big L” Fire in Hood and Erath Counties in Texas is now “under control,” according to reports by the Texas A&M Forest Service, the state’s principal agency for battling wildfires. After burning more than 11,000 acres, the wildfires are now 85% contained as of Tuesday.
The fire started on March 20, near the city of Lipan, causing an evacuation order that has since expired.
Officials with the forest service said the fire started in Erath County but quickly moved northward into Hood County, which is located on the Edwards Plateau and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area.
According to Mary Leathers of the Texas A&M Forest Service, wind gusts and warm temperatures are combining to create ideal conditions for wildfires, and officials are staying “hyper-vigilant” about the weather.
Hood County officials have stated that four firefighters have been injured from fighting the fire since noon on Sunday. One of the victims had first-degree burns, and another person was taken to the hospital but did not require treatment. Two more individuals were temporarily removed from service after becoming dehydrated.
The Big L Fire is one of over 178 wildfires that have burned across Texas in recent days, consuming more than 108,000 acres. Authorities attribute increased wildfire activity to “critical fire weather and high winds.”
Among those is the Eastland Complex Fire, which consists of seven fires burning in and around Eastland County: the Kidd, Blowing Basin, Cedar Mountain, Oak Mott, Wheat Field, Mangum, and Walling fires. The blazes, 70% contained as of Tuesday, have burned over 85 square miles, or an estimated 54,463 acres.
One confirmed fatality has occurred as a result of the Eastland Complex Fires.
Eastland County Sheriff’s Office reported that Deputy Sgt. Barbara Fenley, 51, was assisting evacuation efforts in Carbon when she ran off the roadway, in part due to reduced visibility from smoke and was killed by the flames.
Governor Greg Abbott had issued Disaster Declarations on March 18 for 11 counties in Texas due to the wildfires’ activity. He also ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in Eastland County in honor of Deputy Fenley.
Since the Forest Service’s Tuesday announcement that the Big L Fire was under control, two fires have been fully contained.
On Tuesday evening, authorities announced the Sunday Late Fire, which spanned 175 acres of Live Oak County, had been 100% contained.
Also, 100% contained as of Wednesday morning is the Crews Gap Fire in Runnels and Coleman counties, which burned an estimated 8,100 acres.
Crews will continue to patrol the fires and monitor hotspots.