Fredericksburg, Texas – The Fredericksburg Fire/EMS Department in conjunction with the Texas A&M Forest Service and crews from across the county, region, state and country are still working the Nebo Mountain Fire as of Wednesday afternoon.
As of its latest update, the Texas A&M Forest Service reports the fire has impacted an estimated 1,160 acres and is 80% contained. The acreage has remained unchanged, while containment has increased by 40 percent from Wednesday morning.
“Today was a hot, dusty and exhausting day for our crews as they worked to monitor the fire and strengthen containment lines,” Fredericksburg Fire/EMS Chief Lynn Bizzell said. “We are incredibly thankful for all county responders and the support of the Texas A&M Forest Service—without their aerial suppression and ground crew efforts, this situation could have been far worse.”
The impacted areas are primarily situated between Exxon Road and Legion Creek Road in the northern part of Gillespie County.
Throughout the day, ground crews patrolled containment lines and targeted hotspots. They reported no fire spread outside containment lines.Local crews will continue to monitor the area throughout the evening and overnight, while performing mop-up duties.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M Forest Service aviation resources completed airdrop operations, further strengthening established fire lines. There are currently an estimated 100 personnel on the ground with 60 Texas A&M Forest Service crew members and 40 county personnel.
Two outbuildings were reported lost.
Weather & Fire Conditions
Overnight humidity will not recover as it did on Tuesday evening, meaning adverse fire conditions will persist into Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 with north winds at 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.
A dry cold front arriving Thursday will shift winds to the north and further increase fire danger, with no precipitation expected.
“Even with the progress made, we remain mindful that fire conditions are still severe,” Bizzell added. “We ask everyone to please do their part by avoiding any activity that could spark a fire. I also want to extend a sincere thank‑you to our local community. Once again, you’ve stepped up to ensure our personnel have the drinks, snacks, and meals they need to keep going.”
Fire Information
The incident began at approximately 2:17 PM on Tuesday, Feb. 24 near 662 Exxon Road, about 16 miles north of Fredericksburg along State Highway 16 and five miles northwest of Willow City.
Gillespie County Judge Daniel Jonesb issued a declaration of disaster, authorizing necessary emergency actions including evacuations, road closures and controlled access. The declaration also strongly discourages all hot works, including grinding, cutting with a torch and welding. The site of those activities must have adequate fire suppressant available.
Despite the size of the fire, at this time there have been no reported evacuations ordered and Highway 16 remains open. Local impacts are currently limited to the immediate area along Exxon Road and Hohmann Road.
Local law enforcement continues to communicate with nearby residents and support ground operations. Community members in the vicinity are urged to avoid the area. People in the area should remain alert to instructions from emergency personnel and be prepared to evacuate should conditions change.
The Fredericksburg Fire/EMS Facebook page will be updated as information becomes available. To view more information on this fire, visit https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/txtxs-nebo-mountain.
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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