SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas – As wildfires in San Jacinto and Montgomery County rage on—threatening hundreds of homes—emergency crews are urging hypervigilance with ongoing breezy conditions.
As of 6 p.m., the evacuation orders have been lifted.
PREVIOUS: Crews battle 2,000 acre Pauline Road Fire through Thursday morning
Fortunately, the fires have not resulted in a loss of any homes or lives, but what started Wednesday afternoon rapidly spread to 2,000 acres where fire crews worked to fight the flames through Thursday morning. Officials say it has currently burned 2,360 acres and remains at 20 percent containment.
During a live update with Montgomery Co. Judge Mark Keough, praised the rapid response, noting 20 percent of the flames have since been contained.
“I gotta tell you, our emergency, our law enforcement service—they jumped on this so fast...they are constantly planning for these kinds of scenarios,” he said. “We don’t want somebody to say, this caught us off guard.”
“We’re still at 2,000 acres or at 20% contained, so we have seen some improvement but that number is likely to rise in acreage and containment as they put air assets up this morning and get an overview of what happened overnight,” Jason Millsaps Chief of Staff Executive Director for the Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management said.
MORE: ‘We are blessed with the best’: Fire crews protect homes overnight as Pauline Road Fire rages
Regardless, the National Weather Service issued a fire weather warning Thursday across SE Texas from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., because of these windy conditions, officials are urging people to remain vigilant.
“We held it back, but it could continue to push forward and those homes could be threatened and we don’t want anyone back in that area,” Millsaps added. “And if there are additional homes that need to be evacuated, those orders will come as quickly as we understand the circumstances that require it.”
Particularly, those in San Jacinto County, east of Peach Creek, along Lee Turner Road, should already be evacuated. Millsaps said residents in Montgomery Co., west of Peach Creek, the flames have not crossed into that area yet, but are strongly encouraged to leave the area.
“Yesterday we watched this fire move one mile in about 45 minutes—it was very rapidly spreading, so if that was to occur today, you would have very little time to make preparations to leave your home,” he explained. “That’s why you should have done that yesterday—but if you haven’t, this morning is the best time to do it because by this afternoon, the behavior of this fire is going to rapidly change.”
RELATED: Elevated fire weather conditions prompt Red Flag Warning across SE Texas Thursday
San Jacinto County Emergency Services says a command center has been set up at the intersection of FM 1725 and Alsobrooks Road northwest of Cleveland.
Helicopters and planes are also being used to fight the fire. Air support stopped at sundown Wednesday, but officials said it would return Thursday morning.
Evacuations have already taken place in Peach Creek Estates, Lee Turner Road, Big Buck Drive, as well as on Hereford Way and Blue Teal. Around midnight, the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management posted a list of other roads now under mandatory evacuations for an imminent fire risk. They include:
- Holstein Dr.
- Hereford Way
- Cross Cut
- Rock Pigeon
- Boar’s Run
- Grey Goose
- Brown Bear
- Duroc Ct.
- Big Beaver
- Blue Teal
- Grant Lake Circle
- N. Duck Creek north of Blue Teal
A shelter has been set up for residents who have evacuated at the San Jacinto County Shelter located at 255 Live Oak Street in Coldspring.
Related Story: 900 homes under either mandatory or voluntary evacuations in San Jacinto, Montgomery counties due to wildfire
Another shelter has been set up in Splendora at the East Montgomery County Community Center.
The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management says Caney Creek Cowboy Church located at 17703 Nonesuch Rd. in Conroe is accepting livestock that is displaced due to the wildfires.
Cleveland ISD has also made the decision to cancel classes on Thursday citing safety of students, staff and families.
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