MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Firefighters in San Jacinto and Montgomery counties are continuing efforts to control the Pauline Road Fire, which has burned nearly 2,400 acres. Despite the ongoing danger, evacuation orders were lifted overnight, allowing residents to return to their homes.
Local officials, including Montgomery Co. Judge Keough, gave an update Friday morning, confirming the fire has been contained within its boundaries.
Local fire crews will begin winding down operations today, while the Texas A&M Forest Service will take over monitoring and managing the fire. Crews will remain stationed in the area for the next several weeks.
As of Friday morning, the fire is 45% contained, with officials feeling confident that they have a good handle on the situation. The shift in weather, with increasing humidity and decreasing winds, is expected to help firefighters improve containment lines and make further progress in suppressing the flames. However, residents in the area should expect to see some smoke and smoldering over the next few days.
One home in San Jacinto County was reported to have burned, but no injuries or evacuations were reported. Local residents, who had been keeping a close eye on the fire, said they were cautious but hopeful about the progress being made.
The cause of the fire has been confirmed by the Texas A&M Forest Service to be a prescribed burn, which the landowner had permission to carry out with a safety plan in place. The investigation will now focus on how the fire grew out of control.
Approximately 130 to 140 firefighters remain in the area to continue battling the flames.
Thursday, March 20 updates
As of 6 p.m., officials confirmed that it is safe for residents in Montgomery County and San Jacinto County to return home.
“We are very confident based on current conditions and where the fire is, the containment lines that are there, that it is safe to return to their homes,” said Jason Millsaps, Executive Director of the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Millsaps says fire crews will remain on scene overnight to monitor the fire.
He says residents can still expect to see some smoke and smoldering from time to time over the next few days.
“The weather is on our side for the next few days, with the humidity going up and the winds dying down, that will also allow firefighters to continue to get better containment lines and shore those things up so they can snuff this fire out,” Millsaps said.
One home has burned in the Pauline Road Fire in San Jacinto County overnight, officials confirmed.
The information was provided in an Thursday update as crews continue to battle the fire, which currently has burned 2,360 acres and is 45 percent contained.
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Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough praised firefighters and first responders for evacuating and protecting homes overnight.
“What they did last night was nothing short of remarkable in protecting people, assets and infrastructure,” Keough said.
READ: Pauline Road Fire: Officials expect more evacuations as windy conditions continue
Keough also said law enforcement chased down animals to rescue them, moving them to safety as well as evacuating the residents of the affected areas. Officials say approximately 60-80 head of cattle along with horses, lambs and sheep, and goats were rescued.
Montgomery County Pct. 4 Commissioner Matt Gray said firefighters did an “excellent job” on containing the fire. Authorities say there were multiple instances where firefighters stood in harms way, building containment lines with no regard for their own safety. This, along with weather conditions, allowed crews to drastically slow the forward progression of the fire.
Gray said reconnaissance did reveal one home was destroyed by the fire in San Jacinto County. It is currently unknown whether anyone was still at the home or if they had evacuated. They will be looking into that.
READ: ‘We are blessed with the best’: Fire crews protect homes overnight as Pauline Road Fire rages
An official with the Texas A&M Forest Service confirmed the cause of the fire can be attributed to a prescribed burn.
“There is an investigation surrounding the circumstances of that prescribed burn. If there is any criminal charges that come out of that investigation, we’ll refer that to the San Jacinto County District Attorney’s Office,” said Josh Mizrany, Assistant Chief Law Enforcement Officer with the Texas A&M Forest Service.
It was also noted that the landowner had permission to burn and had even come up with a plan to do it safely. The investigation will be looking into how it grew out of control.
RELATED: Red Flag Warning continues for Houston on Thursday
About 130-140 firefighters remain out fighting the fire. Officials say the weather conditions and the efforts last night have caused the fire to slow down dramatically compared to Wednesday.
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