Multiple agencies fight grass fires along State Highway 351 north of Abilene

Laura Gutschke, Abilene Reporter-News
·3 min read
The crew of an Abilene Fire Department brush truck prepares to put out a hay bale that caught fire during Thursday's grass fire near State Highway 351 north of Abilene. While a handful of homes were threatened, the fire was quickly contained by AFD and responders from several volunteer fire departments.
The crew of an Abilene Fire Department brush truck prepares to put out a hay bale that caught fire during Thursday's grass fire near State Highway 351 north of Abilene. While a handful of homes were threatened, the fire was quickly contained by AFD and responders from several volunteer fire departments.

UPDATE 12:50 P.M.

Multiple fire departments responded Thursday morning to several grassfires along State Highway 351 north of Abilene near Hamby.

Abilene Fire Department crews dispatched at about 8:15 a.m. reported several fires, including near County Roads 1082 and 521 and Elmdale Road North, the latter near the Hamby Volunteer Fire Department facility. That VFD as well as others, including Callahan County, also responded.

Other grassfires were visible further to the east of State Highway 351, according to scanner traffic.

The first crews on the scene focused on the sections of the grassfire that threatened residences and barns before attacking the fire in open fields and other areas.

AFD dispatched five engine trucks, one ladder truck and a battalion chief to assist. City responders stayed on the scene until about 10 a.m.

Outdoor weather conditions were challenging, with winds out of the north at 20 mph, gusting to 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures that hovered at about 22 to 25 degrees made for a wind chill of 7 to 10 degrees.

According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, a grassfire northeast of Abilene near State Highway 351 and County Road 152 had reached about 110 acres and was 100% contained as of 1:30 p.m. The fire was just inside the southwest corner of Shackelford County.

A brush truck puts water on a grass fire near a building on State Highway 351 Thursday.
A brush truck puts water on a grass fire near a building on State Highway 351 Thursday.

UPDATE 9:57 A.M.

Traffic control along State Highway 351 is being discontinued.

Hamby and Callahan County VFDs remain on the scene, according to scanner traffic.

UPDATE 9:40 A.M.

AFD crews are in the process of releasing equipment from the scene, while Hamby and Callahan County crews continue to attack contained fires to the east of State Highway 351.

UPDATE 9:20 A.M.

AFD crews report making progress on stopping the progression of the fires in their immediatearea and are mobbing up and refilling tanks.

Additional fires are reported in the area off of State Hwy 351.

UPDATE 8:51 A.M.

Brush trucks are attacking fires in fields.

Fire crews from Callahan County also are responding to the area to assist.

UPDATE 8:45 A.M.

Fire crews they are making progress in knocking down fires that are threatening a couple of residences, according to scanner traffic.

Heavy black smoke in one area of the fire is attributed to a piled building supplies, not any structures.

Crews from the Hamby Volunteer Fire Department are attacking two separate fires just outside north Taylor County and are making containment progress.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Abilene Fire Department and several volunteer fire departments are responding Thursday morning to grass fires that are threatening residences along State Highway 351.

Crews initially were dispatched about 8:15 to the 4400 block of State Highway 351. While en route, AFD requested additional equipment be dispatched and that VFDs in Jones County and Clyde also assist.

At least four AFD engine trucks, four brush trucks and a ladder truck were dispatched, according to scanner traffic.

Crews are focusing on structure protection first before attacking the fields on fire, according to scanner traffic.

Several fires are being attacked, including one at least a half-mile long.

Traffic is being diverted from the State Highway 351 area north of the city.

Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporter and food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Update: Multiple agencies fight SH 351 grass fires north of Abilene