A large grass fire, which destroyed some structures and prompted evacuations on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, is showing signs it’s slowing down, officials said.
High winds, hot temperatures and low humidity levels helped the Crabapple fire, about 10 miles northeast of Fredericksburg, quickly grow to 400 acres on Saturday afternoon. The blaze then jumped east across State Highway 16 within three hours. By Saturday evening it had impacted 8,640 acres. On Sunday afternoon, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported the fire was 40% contained and that “activity is minimal.” No deaths or injuries were reported.
In a social media post, Gillespie County sheriff Chris Ayala said some residents had “experienced loss of property and homes.” Approximately 10 households had been evacuated in a rural area that was affected by the fire, according to Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Kiley Moran. Further evacuations are not anticipated, he said.
“The fire is not under control, but it’s definitely calming down” Moran said.
Most of the blaze’s northern border has been contained, and the remainder of the fire is being fought by aircraft dropping fire retardant and water from the sky while bulldozers clear brush and create a containment perimeter around the fire, he said.
Strong winds are pushing smoke and ash from the Crabapple Fire near Fredricksburg east toward Austin, according to the National Weather Service, on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
Officials began investigating the fire’s cause and assessing reported structure damage Sunday, Moran said.
Strong winds helped push ashes and smoke from the fire 80 miles east Saturday, making the skies hazy and smoky, and temporarily affecting the air quality in Travis County and surrounding areas.
An elevated fire threat is expected throughout Central Texas until Thursday, the National Weather Service’s Central Texas office said. Warm temperatures coupled with gusty winds up to 35 mph could help spread any fires that begin, the weather service said, and make them hard to control. Smoke from the Crabapple fire might also affect air quality in surrounding counties for several days.
Officials encouraged Gillespie County residents to keep an eye on the Gillespie County sheriff’s office Facebook page and the Fredericksburg Fire Department’s Facebook page for more updates.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 8,640-acre wildfire outside Fredericksburg is ‘calming down’
