A prescribed burn near Marble Falls in Burnet County jumped its lines on Monday, blackening more than 75 acres off County Road 403 before crews could rein it in. Firefighters from across the Hill Country converged on the scene and stopped the forward spread of the flames. Officials reported no injuries and no immediate reports of structural damage. Crews stayed on the scene afterward to knock down hot spots and keep the fire from reigniting.
As reported by KEYE/CBS Austin, the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department posted photos and an update about the blaze on social media, identifying County Road 403 as the location. According to the station, eight agencies responded, including Marble Falls Area Fire Department, Burnet County Emergency Services District 9 - Spicewood Fire Rescue, Marble Falls Fire Rescue, Granite Shoals Fire Rescue, Round Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and Horseshoe Bay Fire Department. The Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, Burnet County Precinct 4, and the Blanco County Office of Emergency Management also assisted, the outlet noted.
Who Responded And How Containment Worked
Local volunteer and municipal departments mounted a coordinated attack, using brush trucks and hose lines to box the fire in and keep it from chewing into nearby ranchland and road corridors. Photos shared by the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department show crews working along ridgelines and scanning for embers while air and ground resources cooled lingering hot spots; the department maintains a public site with contact information. Fire officials said the blaze’s forward progress was stopped, and crews remained into the evening to patrol the area and make sure smoldering patches did not flare back up.
Local Rules And Recent Warnings
Prescribed burns are a common tool to knock down hazardous fuels, but they come with tight local rules and weather restrictions. Guidance from Burnet County notes that outdoor burning was allowed as of Jan. 27 and requires notification and safety measures, including wind limits and available extinguishing equipment. Burnet County Emergency Services District 2 had warned residents in late January to skip controlled burns when high winds were in the forecast and reminded the public that burning is not permitted when sustained winds exceed 23 mph, according to KXAN.
What Residents Should Know
County and local fire officials are again urging anyone planning a controlled burn to notify authorities in advance, follow the established safety checklist and shut things down if conditions start to shift. For local instructions and to report intended burns, residents can use the controlled-burn contact listed by local departments at (512) 756-8080, and should call 911 if they see an active or out-of-control fire. Authorities said they will review the incident and the burn plan to determine whether permits and procedures were followed and whether additional guidance is needed for future burns.
