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“It was hot,” Christopher Robbins, Assistant Chief of Wimberley Fire and Rescue, said. “It is hard to describe to someone that doesn’t see these types of responses on a daily basis. Every time you would blink, the fire would double. Every time I went back to the truck to call for more resources, you would see through that smoke and see the rise of heat. It was so hot, it didn’t matter how far you stood back, you were getting burned up.”
The Valley Springs Fire started around 3:45 p.m. April 7 burning an estimated 60 to 80 acres. The fire, and its cause, are still under investigation although it is believed it was mechanical failure on a piece of commercial equipment.
“We are waiting for confirmation on that, but I can tell you that the fire was not started because of recklessness and it was not intentional,” Robbins said.
No lives were lost, no homes were burned and Jacob’s Well Elementary was protected. In the beginning, they weren’t sure that would be the case.
The response to the Valley Springs Fire started in a manner different than normal. A call came in, but it wasn’t from the Hays County Dispatch. A concerned member of the community called the fire department directly and reported a column of smoke.
“Given the conditions and the concern of the caller, we self dispatched to the call to investigate further,” Robbins said.
They were quickly able to identify the location of the fire. It was spreading but not exceptionally quick. However, there were unique circumstances. The area of the fire was being cleared resulting in mulch six to eight inches deep lining multiple acres.
“When we encounter those conditions, it is very hard to put out a fire quickly,” Robbins said. “You’ve got the surface level fire burning, but it is also burning underneath… if (firefighters) go too far ahead, it could reignite behind them presenting safety hazards.”
And then the wind picked up and conditions deteriorated further.
“We immediately recognized that we needed additional resources,” Robbins said. “It felt like it would double in size and it would separate into two or three big fires.”
The countywide Hays County Wildland Task Force was called. Every fire department in Hays County sends designated wildland fire equipment. At this point, the wind began blowing the fire towards the roads Peace Pipe and War Bonnet threatening homes. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office and other area law enforcement agencies were called in to evacuate residents immediately.
“There was a large concern that this may enter residential areas,” Robbins said. “We quickly notified the state and had the Texas Forestry Service respond with strike teams and dozer teams to augment the response.”
Ten firefighters formed a wall on the back property line of Jacob’s Well Elementary with multiple fire trucks as well as two roaming firefighters putting out spot fires from embers floating in the wind.
“Schools are designed to protect their occupancy in natural disasters, and that is what we were dealing with,” Robbins said. “We took a stance on the backside of the school in case that fire did push through the maintained vegetation areas. We had three brush trucks back there for structural protection and an engine upfront. We had 10 fire fighters dedicated to protecting that school by itself and two in front of the school in case fires jumped 2325.”
When the fire started, the school day had just ended. Some students were staying at the school for extended care. They were evacuated to another school early in the process.
“The Kids Connection students that were still present on campus were immediately brought inside when the first signs of smoke were visible,” an email from Wimberley ISD said. “Shortly afterwards all the Kids Connection students and staff were transported off campus via bus to Wimberley High School. In addition, our high school baseball and softball players were transported from the baseball/softball complex back to the high school to stay clear of the area.”
The fire reached the track area behind the school, but the building itself was unaffected. Classes were canceled at the school the following day to allow the smoke smell to dissipate.
As the fire continued to burn, falling embers caused another fire across FM 2325. Dozens of fire departments from across the state arrived along with three helicopters and three fixed-wing airplanes. The helicopters began using large buckets to dump water while the planes dropped a red fire retardant material. Even once the fire was controlled, it took hours to fully put it out.
“We had some guys that were there for 24 hours straight,” Robbins said. “But this is what we train for. This department has taken preparing for natural disasters and emergency situations very seriously. We have a lot of dedicated firefighters that want to do the best they can, and they push themselves to be educated and prepared. It showed in this situation.
