Montgomery County officials issued a local disaster declaration as a wildfire continues to ravage through parts of San Jacinto and Montgomery counties, starting yesterday. Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough called the blaze, which has now swelled to 2,350 acres as of this morning, an "imminent threat" due to "wildfires fueled by heavy winds, low humidity and dry conditions." Mandatory evacuations have affected about 900 homes in the region, as reported by KHOU.
In the face of an advancing wildfire, dubbed the Pauline Road Fire, Montgomery County's response has included the deployment of about 120 fire personnel between the two counties, along with 30 personnel from the Texas A&M Forest Service. Judge Keough, in a statement obtained by Community Impact, expects full containment of the fire to take about three days, given the current conditions. The U.S. Forest Service is anticipated to join the firefighting efforts today.
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, during a news conference, was quoted in a Community Impact interview saying, "This thing is not going away for a while." Residents have been asked not to fly drones near the wildfire, which it can disrupt firefighting aircraft, as explained by officials with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office.
Local officials have provided a list of shelters and centers for evacuees and livestock amidst the chaos brought on by wildfire. Among the designated locations are First Baptist Church Groceville and the East Montgomery County Community Development Center, alongside others for those whose homes are caught in the blaze's path, as reported by Community Impact. Emergency shelters, part of the community's rapid response to the crisis, include Community Transformation Church-New Caney and Caney Creek Cowboy Church, the latter also accommodating livestock.
Residents in Montgomery County are facing a Red Flag Warning issued by the KHOU 11 Weather Team, with advisories to avoid all fire-related activities to prevent exacerbating the situation. The warnings, according to KHOU, include vehicle prohibition off dry grass, safe disposal of cigarettes, and avoidance of spark-creating activities, among others, to mitigate further fire risks.
