Fire season roars (22 June 2006)

Standard-Times photo by Patrick Dove

A helicopter contracted out of Mathis Field by the Texas Forest Service dumped about 1,000 gallons of water on a grassfire in Irion County. Volunteer fire departments from across the Concho Valley aided Wednesday afternoon in attacking the blaze, which officials dubbed the Richey Ranch Fire.

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Containment effort hampered by wind

By JOE RUIZ
jruiz@sastandardtimes.com or 659-8237

About 100 firefighters from across the Concho Valley were called into action Wednesday as the second major wildfire in less than a week started in Irion County.

The blaze ignited about 30 miles west of San Angelo near the town of Arden.

The Irion County Sheriff's Office said it received the call at 1:52 p.m. for the fire dubbed the Richey Ranch Fire by the Texas Forest Service.

The Forest Service was called to help with the blaze about 3 p.m., and a number of departments assisted with the containment. Smoke from the fire was visible about 10 miles outside San Angelo on Farm Road 853.

Volunteer firefighters from Irion, Crockett and Reagan counties as well as Water Valley, Grape Creek and Dove Valley volunteer fire departments were part of the containment effort. They were still fighting the fire Wednesday evening.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no injuries were reported. A home near the staging area was briefly in harm's way, but a bulldozer line established by firefighters prevented any further threat.

The terrain and high winds hampered efforts to contain the fire quickly, said Texas Forest Service Regional

Fire Coordinator Shane Crimm.

''The wind is affecting the fire behavior, making it an almost extreme fire behavior, and that's causing our containment problems,'' Crimm said.

No structural damage was reported.

No mandatory evacuations were issued by officials, but one group of workers on an oil rig evacuated on their own.

''These ranch folks around here just keep an eyeball on it, and they know when to go,'' said Ron Perry, prevention specialist with the Forest Service.

A helicopter also was used to help fight the fire. The helicopter, stationed at San Angelo Regional Airport/Mathis Field, carries about 1,000 gallons of water and dropped numerous loads of water across the fire.

A private airplane was spotted circling the area around the staging zone about 4:15 p.m.causing fire officials some concern, but it left the airspace about 5:30 p.m.

Officials with the Forest Service called for a temporary flight restriction over the area about 3:15 p.m. The restriction is requested whenever firefighting aircraft are used, Perry said.

An official estimate on the acreage burned and the cause of the fire are expected to be available sometime today.A wildfire south of Christoval burned 1,825 acres of land this past weekend. A slight chance of thunderstorms is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.