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The Crabapple Fire north of Fredericksburg was 95% contained by Thursday. It has burned 9,858 acres since last weekend.
“Overnight, the winds died down and there were no major flare ups,” Fredericksburg Fire Chief Lynn Bizzell said, as quoted in a statement.
He added: “We are so appreciative of our state and federal partners, including the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, without their support we would not have been able to save the structures that we did and contain this fire. Our local crews, including a strike team from the Forest Service will continue to monitor the affected area.”
The cause of the fire is still undetermined.
Fredericksburg Fire EMS reported on Facebook on Thursday that the blaze — which the Texas A&M Forest Service titled the Crabapple Fire — originated on the roadside near Crabapple Road, about 11 miles north of Fredericksburg, around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Fire crews from across the region are fighting a large grass fire north of Fredericksburg that has spread to 9,700 acres. The blaze near Lower Crabapple Road started around 1:45 p.m. Saturday Fredericksburg Fire EMS reported on Mon the fire was at least 65% contained. www.tpr.org/environment/...
— Texas Public Radio (@texaspublicradio.bsky.social) March 17, 2025 at 2:51 PM
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"The reported origin of the fire just emphasizes the need of everyone to be overly cautious during these dry conditions," Bizzell said in an earlier statement. "The smallest spark can cause massive problems."
The Gillespie County Sheriff's office said a damage assessment revealed nine total residences and 20 other structures were destroyed in the fire. Several others were damaged.
“Now our focus turns to helping the people that were affected by the devastation of this fire,” Bizzell added. “Our hearts go out to those that lost everything. Our crews will continue to assist in recovery and relief efforts.”
A burn ban remained in effect in Gillespie County because of extremely dry conditions in the area. A disaster declaration issued by County Judge Daniel Jones on March 15 prohibits all outdoor burning ... including trash, brush, trees, storm debris, construction material debris, and open campfires, until further notice."
Social media and news reports in recent days were filled with dramatic and tragic stories and images of smoke-filled horizons, brightly colored fires contrasting with the brown and gray landscapes they consumed and left behind, and aircraft soaring over the flames, dropping red chemicals or brownish water onto the inferno.
Leo Tynan has a home near Enchanted Rock Road and saw portions of the fire as it spread: "The wind was probably carrying embers a good distance out ahead of it. You could see literally explosions along the horizon when it would hit into dense cedar areas where the trees would just explode."
