A large brush fire in southern Brooks County that has burned approximately 1,600 acres was about 80% contained as of press time Wednesday, according to Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez, but it still lacked a mop up by local agencies.
The fire is believed to have started about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the strong gusts of wind have presented a difficult task for the 25 different responding agencies from the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend sectors — including Hidalgo County.
“We’re looking at approximately 1,600 acres,” Martinez said about the affected area Wednesday evening. “It seems like it’s getting a lot better than it was, but the wind has been a big factor in this. The challenging part is that the wind had been blowing pretty hard when it first started.”
Martinez said that the fire is believed to have started in the area of Farm-to-Market Road 755 and U.S. 281.
“It could’ve been just a wire,” Martinez said about what may have caused the fire. “The wind’s been going so hard, maybe just a spark or something. Of course — the drought — it’s still dry out here. It had plenty of fuel, so to speak, to ignite and to travel quickly.”
Martinez also acknowledged the aid of Texas A&M and US Forest Service, who provided air support as seen in a video shared on Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra’s Twitter.
He added that a voluntary evacuation was in place, with some residents choosing to evacuate the area.
“There was an RV, I think it was abandoned, and I think that burned down,” Martinez said. “That was it. I think that was the only structure that I know of at the current time.”
Happening Now: Multiple Fire agencies from Hidalgo County are assisting fighting a large brush fire in southern Brooks County. Hidalgo County OEM is reporting the fire has burned roughly 2000 acres and is currently 60% contained. Texas A&M and US Forest Service are also assisting pic.twitter.com/McY76Zgea1
— Sheriff Eddie Guerra (@SheriffGuerra) February 17, 2022
