New Waverly firefighters return home
Aug. 13—After three weeks on the fire lines as far away as the Texas Panhandle, New Waverly firefighters activated by state emergency management officials through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System have returned home to Walker County. Drought conditions contributed to major wildfires across north Texas since early spring. The crew set out to assist once again in mid-July.
Trained Wildland Firefighters were able to prevent the loss of more homes in a 500- acre fire along Possum Kingdom Lake with New Waverly's Type 3 Wildland Engine that carries more water, equipment and personnel than a conventional firetruck. Within days, the fire was under control.
As part of Strike Team 174, New Waverly was reassigned to the Austin area to fight the San Gabriel wildfire in Williamson County, which threatened homes in the city of Georgetown. They saw action in Bastrop and Hays Counties before moving to Cuero in Dewitt County.
The Strike Team was then ordered back to the Austin area as major fires broke out in Blanco, Hays and Gillespie Counties. The crew spent much of their time mopping up hot spots on the Smoke Rider Fire near Dripping Springs.
On the evening of August 3, the team was diverted to a new and dangerous wildfire that had prompted evacuations along the Blanco River, near Wimberly. They arrived just as the fire was moving toward several large evacuated homes on a ridge overlooking the river. They were ordered to protect those homes and spent all of that night clearing flammable vegetation by hand and stretching hose lines, even utilizing a swimming pool for a water supply as the fire approached. None of the homes were lost to the fire.
During the course of the 21 day deployment, the crew included two wildland firefighters from New Waverly and one each from the Montgomery and Caney Creek Fire Departments in Montgomery County. All of the deployed crew members are trained and qualified under state and national standards.
While the engine crew is back, two other NWFD Officers are still in the field, serving as Strike Team Leaders for TIFMAS Strike Team 180, assigned to the Burns Creek Fire near Lake in Somerville.
