Crabapple Fire: Gillespie County wildfire burns nearly 10,000 acres this weekend
The Crabapple Fire has burned thousands of acres in Gillespie County in just over 32 hours.
As of 9 p.m. March 16, the fire burned 9,500 acres and is 55 percent contained.
There is not a mandatory evacuation in place; however, it is strongly encouraged for residents in certain areas to leave.
GILLESPIE COUNTY, Texas - The Crabapple Fire in Gillespie County has burned nearly 10,000 acres since it sparked on Saturday afternoon.
What we know
As of 9 p.m. March 16, the fire burned 9,500 acres and is 55 percent contained.
The fire sits just north of Fredericksburg, between Lower Crabapple Road and Landrum Creek and began as a grass fire around 1 p.m. March 15.
The fire had swelled to 8,640 acres by Sunday morning, then had leveled off at 9,500 acres since early Sunday afternoon. Officials say the increase in acreage was not due to the fire growing, but rather more accurate mapping.
Nature has not helped, with the winds tracking up to 43 miles per hour in Fredericksburg.
What they're saying
"Really just focused on getting those flare-ups put out and structures protected as we continue throughout today," said Sean Doerre, the public information officer for the City of Fredericksburg.
"The conditions, we had talked for the last couple of months were just right for this type of thing, whether that was the wind, whether that was the dry conditions here in the Texas Hill Country, and unfortunately, you know, the worst fears came to fruition," said Doerre.
Local perspective
Sunday afternoon, nearby residents were out and about trying to do their part.
"Oh the livestock, okay, yeah. they're moving the livestock now to get away from the fire back over there to the west," said Berry Wagner, who was helping a relative protect his home. Just a few hours earlier, he had been preparing his property for the worst.
"We pretty much moved all over equipment into a field yesterday and watered down the house and yard around it and all that, and we are protected by some large field, so yeah, it's been a little nerve-wracking," said Wagner.
Fire officials say several structures were destroyed.
"It's the saddest thing ever, I mean, one second you got everything, and the next minute you don't have anything," said Zip Zimmerman, a nearby resident. "It was pretty traumatic because you could watch it, literally watch it come."
Crews from all over the state are lending a hand to help fight the fires.
"They are absolutely wonderful, man," said Zimmerman. "I mean they're from all over the place. They were up working all night long, and they're still at."
Big picture view
There is not a mandatory evacuation in place; however, it is strongly encouraged for residents between Highway 16 North and FM 1631 and between Ranch Road 1323 and Ranch Road 2721 to leave.
The sheriff's office says residents of about ten households have actually evacuated.
A shelter has been set up at Zion Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg.
What's next
As of 6:30 p.m., the Texas A&M Forest Service says aircraft and ground crews have made good progress and that a containment line has been established around the majority of the fire.
Crews are working to finish wrapping the perimeter.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced in a release Sunday that FEMA has approved the state's request for federal funding related to the Crabapple fire and the Rest Area fire in the Panhandle. FEMA will be reimbursing 75% of the state's costs associated with fighting the two wildfires.
Abbott has also directed state emergency response resources to help support local efforts.
What you can do
Fredericksburg Fire said Sunday morning that food, water and other supply donations are not currently needed. Officials at the scene added that they are thankful for what they have received.
Instead, those wanting to help are asked to donate to the Crabapple Fire Relief Fund, which will help provide "emergency aid, essential supplies, and long-term recovery assistance to help families rebuild their homes, restore their land, and restart their businesses," according to the fund's website.
Big picture view
The Crabapple Fire is currently the second-biggest active wildfire in Texas as of Sunday evening, says the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The Wildmill Fire in Roberts County in the Panhandle is currently the biggest, with 23,147 acres burned and 95% containment.
The Rest Area Fire in Gray County, east of Amarillo, was the third-biggest with 7,931 acres, but, as of around 7 p.m. March 16, has been fully contained.
The Source
Information in this report comes from the Texas A&M Forest Service, the city of Fredericksburg and reporting and interviews by FOX 7 Austin's Lauren Rangel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Experts Answer Looming Questions About the Catastrophic Texas Floods
The rain came fast, and the river rose even faster. On Friday, July 4, more than six inches of rain fell in just three hours across the Texas Hill Country. In less than an hour, the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet — sweeping away everything, and everyone, in its path. At least 109 people were killed, including 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, and hundreds more remain missing. As the states reel from one of the deadliest floods in recent memory, one question looms large: Was this a freak act of nature, or a predictable disaster fueled by climate change and years of ignored warnings? To find out, we spoke with experts — including those at Texas A&M University, home to one of the country's leading climate and atmospheric science programs. To what extent did climate change contribute to the severity of the recent Texas floods? Experts agree: The deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country were fueled by climate change. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which means today's storms are capable of dumping far more rain than they used to. On July 4, up to 12 inches of rain fell in Central Texas in a matter of hours, according to National Weather Service radar estimates. And there's solid research to back that up. A 2024 report published by Texas A&M University found that extreme rainfall events in the state have already increased by about 10 percent due to climate change. That number could double in the coming decades, reaching a 20 percent increase compared to a century ago. Last week's rainfall was especially intense because the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry swept over Texas after making landfall in Mexico. But even that storm reflects a larger trend. As the planet warms, tropical systems are producing more rainfall. That's because the oceans — which have absorbed most of the excess heat trapped by human activity — are getting warmer. Warmer oceans fuel stronger storms, and when you pair that with hotter air that can carry more moisture, the result is bigger, wetter systems with greater potential for flooding. We saw this on full display last year, when Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic floods to Appalachia. But few places are as vulnerable as the Texas Hill Country, which is nicknamed 'Flash Flood Alley.' (Having grown up there, I remember barely blinking an eye when the waters rose.) For those unfamiliar with the terrain, the risk lies in its rugged geography. Saravanan Ramalingam, Ph.D., head of the Atmospheric Science Department at Texas A&M, explains that the steep limestone hills and thin layer of soil create a funneling effect. Instead of soaking in, rainwater surges downhill fast, turning a downpour into a dangerous flash flood. And this isn't just a Texas problem. Across the U.S., storms are getting stronger. The most intense downpours are expected to become even more extreme, heightening the risk of flash floods well beyond the Hill Country. According to the National Climate Assessment, more than a third of the $230 billion in inland flood damage nationwide between 1988 and 2021 can be directly linked to human-caused climate change. Could Texas have been better prepared? As the death toll from the catastrophic flooding in Texas climbs, questions are mounting about whether local officials in Kerr County — one of the hardest-hit areas — did enough to protect residents. After all, this isn't the first time such a tragedy has struck the region. In July 1987, heavy rains triggered a flash flood of the same river. It forced the evacuation of another Christian camp near the rural town of Comfort, where 10 teenagers were swept away and killed. Unlike neighboring counties like Guadalupe and Comal, which installed flood sirens nearly a decade ago, Kerrville had no outdoor warning system in place. Just down the road, New Braunfels regularly tests its sirens — a standard practice in a region known for flash floods. But in Kerr County, officials admitted over the weekend that no such system exists. It's not because they didn't have the chance. After deadly floods tore through southeast Texas in 2016, killing dozens and destroying homes, President Barack Obama declared a major disaster. That declaration unlocked over $100 million in FEMA funding to help Texas communities recover — and prepare for the next one. Kerr County requested $1 million to build a flood warning system. But some local officials pushed back on the cost. 'I think this whole thing is a little extravagant for Kerr County,' then-Commissioner Buster Baldwin said at the time. 'I see the word sirens and all that stuff in here.' Efforts to address the problem at the state level have also made little progress. Texas House Bill 13, introduced in the most recent legislative session, aimed to create a statewide plan for outdoor sirens and offer funding to help rural communities install them. But the bill died in the Legislature, dismissed by critics as too expensive, even as the need for warning systems became more urgent. Now, one painful question lingers: Could this alert system really have made a difference? On Friday morning, more than six inches of rain fell in just three hours, and the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes. And the state saw the storm coming. In the 48 hours preceding the flood, officials activated emergency response plans and pre-positioned resources in the region. But critical alerts came too late for many. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m., followed by an upgraded flash flood emergency at 4:03 a.m. — but by then, most people were likely asleep, unaware of the danger rising just outside their doors. Still, some argue that even if the alerts went out, many people may not have received them — especially in rural areas where cell service is spotty. Since receiving these alerts isn't mandatory, some residents may have opted out altogether. And with so few people using radios today — especially NOAA weather radios — critical warnings may have simply been missed. 'You can have radios or get alerts on your phone, sure — but most people were either asleep or just not paying attention,' says Timothy Logan, Ph.D., a professor at Texas A&M's Department of Atmospheric Sciences. 'It's not that the warnings weren't issued. It's that people didn't receive them in time. Your devices have to be on. You have to be paying attention — and that's a tough ask in the middle of the night.' Did Trump-era budget cuts make things worse? The deadly Texas floods are once again drawing attention to staffing cuts made early in Trump's second term — particularly at critical weather and climate agencies. The NOAA lost hundreds of employees during that period, including key roles within the National Weather Service. According to The Hill, the Austin/San Antonio Weather Service office lost its warning coordination meteorologist to a Trump administration-issued buyout in April. (Around the same time, its science operations officer — the person responsible for implementing new forecasting technology — also retired.) Some scientists argue the lack of preparation wasn't just bad luck, but the result of these cuts — and years of broader disinvestment. 'We witnessed with this particular event that our current federal government and the Governor of Texas were completely unprepared to deal with it properly,' said Michael Mann, a professor of earth and environmental science at the University of Pennsylvania. 'There are several reasons — including the massive layoffs of governmental first responders by the current administration and similar policies by the Republican Governor of Texas, as well as the defunding of federal weather forecasters and flood managers. Adding insult to injury is the fact that both the administration and the governor have actively denied the threat of climate change and opposed policies to address it.' Still, some experts say that while staffing losses may have affected internal communication, the core forecasting operations held up. 'When it comes to the official products issued by the National Weather Service — the watches, the warnings — it's clear to me that the vacant positions didn't affect that part of the process,' says Erik R. Nielsen, an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University. 'The alerts went out as expected, and the office even brought in additional staff to ensure coverage. So operationally, things were functioning.' But, he added, what's harder to evaluate is whether the 'background communication between civil authorities and the office was the same as it would've been had those positions been in place.' Despite the finger-pointing, many climate scientists say forecasters did the best they could under difficult conditions. Dr. Nielsen notes that the warnings were about as timely and accurate as possible, given the real-time data available. Forecasting extreme rainfall and flash flooding more than a few hours in advance remains notoriously difficult due to both scientific and technological limitations. 'Hyperlocal forecasting is possible, but it depends on hyperlocal data — and we just don't have that level of detailed observation yet,' he says. 'Without it, even the best models, whether traditional or AI-driven, struggle to deliver neighborhood-level accuracy. The same goes for hydrologic models. They're designed to track how rivers and creeks respond to rain, but even small errors in pinpointing where the heaviest rain falls can lead to major differences in flood predictions.' Experts agree that more investment is needed in hyperlocal weather forecasting. But that kind of progress might not be in the cards. Trump's latest budget proposal calls for eliminating funding for the agency's climate laboratories and regional climate data centers. It also aims to zero out support for NOAA's weather research program, including research on tornadoes and severe storms. 'I'm not sure we have the capability to predict things precisely [enough] yet [so that] sirens go off in just the right areas,' Dr. Ramalingam says. 'We still need more funding for research. Unfortunately, things are moving in the opposite direction of where I'd hope — and that's where we are right now.' The post Experts Answer Looming Questions About the Catastrophic Texas Floods appeared first on Katie Couric Media. Solve the daily Crossword
UPI
09-07-2025
- UPI
Missing from Central Texas flooding rises to 173
1 of 3 | Texas A&M Forest Service crew members clear debris Tuesday after severe flooding in Central Texas. Photo by S. Turner/Texas A&M Forest Service July 8 (UPI) -- The number of people known to be missing in Central Texas flooding last week has risen dramatically to 173 people, Governor Greg Abbott revealed Tuesday. The vast majority of those unaccounted for -- 161 -- were missing from Kerr County, while 12 people were missing from other counties. Kerr County was hardest hit by the flash flooding early Friday, which overwhelmed the Guadalupe River, a popular recreation site in the region. There have been 108 confirmed deaths in the flooding, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic. Abbott said five campers and one counselor were among those listed as missing. "There are far more fatalities than there were in Hurricane Harvey. That's how catastrophic this is," Abbott said during a news conference in Hunt. More than 100 people died in the 2017 hurricane that impacted Texas, Louisiana and the Caribbean. Abbott said the dramatic increase in the number of missing came about as officials made greater efforts to reach out to the community. "Know this: We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for," Abbott said. "Know this also, there are very likely to be more added to that list." The governor took issue with questions from the media about the timeliness of warnings about the impending flood, saying instead he'd like to talk about solutions. When asked who was to blame for the lack of warnings, he responded: "That is the word choice of losers." "Every football team makes mistakes," Abbott added. "The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who is to blame." Also Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a 90-day pause on foreclosures on Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages for single-family homes. President Donald Trump declared a major disaster area for Kerr County, which has more than 900 FHA-insured mortgages. HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the department would "provide resources and support" for Texas' Hill Country. "Our hearts break as we witness the catastrophe unfolding in Texas," he said. "The flash floods have claimed the lives of more than 100 Americans and displaced countless others."
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
FACT FOCUS: No, weather modification did not cause the deadly flash floods in Texas
As authorities search for victims of the flash floods in Texas that killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, social media users are spreading false claims that the devastation was caused by weather modification. Many pointed to one process in particular, blaming cloud seeding performed on July 2 by a California-based company for the tragedy. But officials say there is no evidence that the floods are the result of cloud seeding and experts agree that cloud seeding would not result in precipitation of this magnitude. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A July 2 cloud seeding operation by Rainmaker Technology Corporation caused flash floods in the Texas Hill Country over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. THE FACTS: This is false. It is not possible that cloud seeding generated the floods, according to experts, as the process can only produce limited precipitation using clouds that already exist. Forecasts predicted rain for that weekend prior to July 2 in an area that was already prone to flooding. 'The claim that cloud seeding played a role in this tragic event is complete nonsense,' said Andrew Dessler, director of Texas A&M University's Texas Center for Extreme Weather. Dev Niyogi, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies extreme weather, said it is 'extremely unlikely' cloud seeding played a role in the floods. He cited weather factors as the reason: 'the moisture flow coming into the area and the widespread rains the system had, as well as the forecast of very heavy rains over the wider area.' Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said at a press briefing on Monday that 'to the best of my knowledge, there is zero evidence of anything related to anything like weather modification' when asked about such speculation. He added: 'The internet is a strange place. People can come up with all sorts of crazy theories.' Nonetheless, social media users questioned whether Rainmaker's operations could be connected to the disaster in Texas. 'Well … this is weird … A company called Rainmaker, conducted a cloud seeding mission on July 2 over Texas Hill Country,' reads one X post. '2 days later, the worst flood in their history occurred … in the exact same area that the Rainmaker flights were. The entire goal of Rainmaker is to increase the precipitation of existing clouds. Why do we let these corporations f — k with the weather?' Many posts also noted Rainmaker's connection to Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, who cofounded the data-mining outfit Palantir Technologies, a secretive company that has long relied on spies, police, and the military as its customers. The Thiel Foundation awarded Rainmaker founder and CEO Augustus Doricko $100,000 in 2024 as part of its fellowship program. Cloud seeding utilizes an artificial material — typically silver iodide — to induce precipitation or clear fog. The practice is an imprecise undertaking with mixed results. Dessler explained that 'cloud seeding can work in certain limited situations and produce very modest increases in precipitation,' but often delivers nothing.' Regardless, the process cannot create storms out of thin air. Ken Leppert, an associate professor of atmospheric science at the University of Louisiana Monroe, said it 'had absolutely nothing' to do with the flash floods in Texas. 'Cloud seeding works by adding aerosols to existing clouds,' he said. 'It doesn't work by helping to create a cloud/storm that doesn't already exist. The storms that produced the rainfall and flooding in Texas were not in existence two days before the event.' The Texas Hill Country, in the central part of the state, is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry, dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. After a flood watch notice was issued midday on July 3, the National Weather Service issued an urgent warning overnight for at least 30,000 people. The July 4 flash floods started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of its 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the dark early morning hours. There was so much rain that the Guadalupe River rose higher than it has in 93 years by almost a foot, according to local reports. 'The natural disaster in the Texan Hill Country is a tragedy. My prayers are with Texas,' Doricko, the Rainmaker CEO, wrote as part of a series of X posts. 'Rainmaker did not operate in the affected area on the 3rd or 4th or contribute to the floods that occurred over the region.' He said Rainmaker's last cloud seeding operation prior to the floods occurred in the early afternoon on July 2 over eastern portions of south-central Texas. Two clouds were seeded and remained in the sky for about two hours before dissipating. Rainmaker suspended its cloud seeding operations indefinitely the same day in response to 'unusually high moisture content.'
