Crews still on scene of large brush fire in Travis County

Crews are still on the scene of where a large brush fire started in Travis County. 

This fire has burned more than 100 acres today. And right now it’s 90 percent contained.

According to the Leander Fire Department’s Facebook page, a spark from a vehicle caused tall dry grass to catch fire and quickly spread. It was a change in wind speed and direction that created issues extinguishing the fire as it traveled into a heavily wooded area.

“I was thinking that’s a fire I mean not just someone burning something it’s like a pretty big fire and I seen it you know?” said Jeff. Jeff has been living in the Lago Vista area for more than 25 years. 

He was working on a construction project at this home.. right next to where many crews were staged to help with the brush fire in Travis County Wednesday afternoon when he saw clouds of smoke fill the air.  “I’ve never seen anything like this before out here you know? I was thinking it was related to what I seen yesterday which was a bunch of emergency vehicles heading out this way” 

Boettner, the Travis County Fire Education Outreach Coordinator, says there was an accidental fire in this same area Tuesday evening. “There apparently was a fire here last night that local authorities had suppressed. There was a call at 11am today saying there was more smoke coming out”
“With weather conditions like we have today a fire could get going really quickly and with the terrain it’s rather difficult to get to so we needed a lot of trucks equipment and people,” explained Boettner. 

Boettner says crews like STARFlight will stay out here all night to watch for spot fires. 

He says Winds tend to pick up later in the afternoon, an unsafe condition for a fire that isn’t 100 percent contained. “They’re going across dipping water and when they see red flames they lay down water on top of that to try and suppress it and the goal is to keep it contained and within boundaries” 

Travis County Emergency Management told FOX 7 Austin that no structures were threatened Wednesday and no evacuations were made in the area. 

One firefighter was taken to the hospital for spraining his arm but is expected to be okay.