Fredericksburg, Texas – After nearly 150 hours, Fredericksburg’s Crabapple Fire has been 100 percent contained, officials announced Friday.
Through the work of the Fredericksburg Fire/EMS Department, Willow City Volunteer Fire & Rescue, other Gillespie County and Texas Hill Country fire departments, the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Texas Division of Emergency Management and federal assets, the fire that started on Saturday, March 15 around 1 p.m. has been completely contained.
“The coordinated efforts of our crews, regional partners, state agencies and federal resources led us to this point,” Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell said. “Although this fire may be contained, our hearts continue to go out to the people that lost homes, property and livestock. Our area is still in extreme drought conditions, so we ask everyone to please be vigilant of anything that may start another fire.”
In total, the Crabapple Fire consumed 9,858 acres.
Despite the 100 percent containment of the Crabapple Fire, the Texas Hill Country remains in critical fire danger. Residents are urged to exercise caution and avoid activities that could potentially ignite fires. Gillespie County remains in a burn ban as drought conditions persist in the region.
To support recovery efforts from the Crabapple Fire, Gillespie County has partnered with the OneStar Foundation and Rebuild Texas to establish the Crabapple Fire Relief Fund. It is the only approved online donation portal. Donations can be made at onestarfoundation.org/crabapple-fire-relief-fund.
Landowners and ranchers that have been affected by the fire and those that want to help them should reach out to the local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at (830) 997-3452 to learn more about efforts to help the agriculture community.
Officials expect to release a full recap of the Crabapple Fire next week.
The Fredericksburg Fire/EMS Facebook page will be updated as information becomes available. To learn more about the City of Fredericksburg Fire/EMS, go to FBGTX.org or contact City Hall at (830) 997-7521.
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