Large grass fire south of Seguin keeps firefighters busy Saturday

(Guadalupe County) — Fire crews from across Guadalupe County responded Saturday afternoon to a large grass fire in the 5000 block of Hickory Forest Road.

The fire which was initially reported in the afternoon quickly grew north toward the 1700 block of Hickory Forest Road due to dry vegetation and changing wind conditions.

Patrick Pinder, Guadalupe County emergency management coordinator and fire marshal, says early reports indicated it was spreading and threatening nearby structures.

“The cause of the fire was determined to be a nearby burn pile that was being monitored on private property. When wind conditions shifted, the fire spread beyond the area where it had been controlled and moved into dense vegetation, allowing it to grow and spread across the surrounding property. At the height of the incident, crews conducted precautionary evacuations of nearby residences as the fire spread toward structures in the area,” said Pinder.

The Sand Hills Volunteer Fire Department served as the primary responding agency. Fire departments from across Guadalupe County and surrounding jurisdictions also responded to assist, including the Seguin Fire Department, New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, Kingsbury Volunteer Fire Department, and Geronimo Volunteer Fire Department, along with mutual aid partners from Gonzales County, Bexar County, the City of Schertz, and the City of Cibolo.

Pinder says responding agencies provided brush trucks, tankers, and personnel to support fire suppression and containment operations.

Due to the sandy soil and heavy vegetation in the area, aerial resources and heavy equipment from the Texas A&M Forest Service were used to support fire suppression and containment operations. Pinder says these resources helped crews establish containment lines and prevent further spread of the fire.

“Through coordinated efforts by responding to fire departments and supporting agencies, the fire was successfully contained Saturday evening. Residents who had evacuated were later allowed to return home once the scene was deemed safe.

The fire burned approximately 15 acres. Fire crews remained on scene for several hours conducting mop-up operations and fire watch overnight to ensure no rekindles occurred.

No injuries have been reported,” said Pinder.

Officials say due to the size of the fire and the area it was located in, residents may still see smoke from the large trees.

Guadalupe County officials say they would like to thank the responding fire departments, mutual aid partners, and the Texas A&M Forest Service for their assistance in quickly containing the fire and protecting nearby homes.