STUDY: BASTROP OFFICIALS UNDERESTIMATED HIDDEN PINES FIRE

  

 

A report by Bastrop County property owners claims officials underestimated the size of the Hidden Pines fire last year by 400 percent and reduced resources needed to fight the blaze during the first 24 hours.

According to the Austin American Statesman, a group of about 20 property owners formed the Lost Pines Property Owners Fire Protection Task Force – conducting their own investigation instead of waiting for the county-authorized study.

In the past six months, they interviewed officials and submitted open records requests to compile a 70-page report, which focuses primarily on fire response within the first 24 hours.

The report finds in the 20 hours from the start of the fire and winds shifting northwest, resources were removed from the scene, no aircraft or outside emergency departments were called to help and officials vastly underestimated the size of the blaze.

The study claims the fire burned for an hour before any fire departments arrived on the scene.  The first 911 call was routed to the Lee County dispatcher, not Bastrop County, delaying the response.

The group tallied 14 recommendations, chief among them to prepare for the worst.

It suggested the county enter into interlocal agreements to access more bulldozers, employ infrared cameras to gauge the size of fires at night and work with local fire departments, emergency management and the Texas Forest Service to craft joint attack plans.

Finally, the group is pushing for an air tanker base at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The group plans to meet with Bastrop County officials and the Texas Forest Service over the next week to present their recommendations.

 

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