Now It's Getting Personal

This is about 10 miles from my home. Fortunately we live north of the fire, and the wind is blowing from North to South, so it looks like we'll be okay.

Unfortunately, I'm stuck 200 miles away and won't be going home until tomorrow night. I'm too far away to do any good, even if I left right now. It's extremely frustrating/aggravating to have something like this near your family and not be able to do anything about it.

About a dozen area fire departments worked to extinguish a rekindled grass fire on the far North Side on Wednesday afternoon.

Flames erupted on Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley property around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday...

Residents in Fair Oaks Ranch who live along Ralph Fair Road, Pimlico Lane and Ruffian Drive were being evacuated via a reverse 911 system, a Boerne dispatcher said. They were asked to go to Messiah Lutheran Church, at 9401 Dietz Elkhorn Road. The Red Cross confirmed it was supporting the shelter.

 Ten Miles From Home

The Texas Department of Transportation closed Ralph Fair Road from the Bexar County line to Dietz Elkhorn Road while emergency vehicles sped to the scene.

Although Camp Bullis has its own fire department, firefighters from San Antonio, Bexar County and numerous other agencies were quickly asked to assist.

County spokeswoman Laura Jesse said around 60 acres had burned by 5 p.m. The fire line was moving southeast, she said, and bulldozers were headed to the front of the fire to create breaks. In addition, helicopters were en route to drop retardant on the burning brush. Most of the fire was in Leon Springs, Reidinger said.

Bexar County officials said deputies were blocking Ralph Fair Road at Old Paseo Way. Residents who had lost power at the Stonehaven subdivision were out along the roadway watching smoke billow in the distance and fire trucks go screaming by.

Around 5 p.m., CPS Energy spokesman Victor Robledo said the utility had to reduce power at the Fair Oaks Ranch substation to allow firefighters to continue working. About 4,500 customers would be out of power...

We spent some time last weekend identifying our 'five-minute warning' documents and other items that would go in our bug-out bags in case we have to evacuate. We also picked a rendezvous point where we'd all meet if we were separated. 

Now all that's left to do is pray for rain...