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Wildfire closes portion of Big Bend National Park in West Texas
A large wildfire has closed portions of Big Bend National Park.
Officials first received reports of a column of smoke on the southern edge of the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, according to a news release from National Park Service. By Friday morning, authorities said the fire had spread across 15-20 acres of the West Texas national park.
The forecast shows the winds will blow westward on Friday, which NPS hopes will help keep the fire from spreading.
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Fire personnel hiked up the area and reached it by early Thursday evening, the release noted. NPS said more firefighters are responding to the fire Friday morning, carrying heavy loads of water and equipment.
The cause of the South Rim Fire is unknown at this time.
Hiking trails and campsites in the high Chisos Mountains will be closed through the weekend to allow park teams to focus on battling the blaze. This includes the Pinnacles, Laguna Meadow, Colima, Boot Canyon, Blue Creek, Juniper Canyon, and South Rim Trails. Park staff is contacting hikers and campers and working to accommodate new itineraries and campsites.
“I would like to express deep gratitude for the fast response of Big Bend’s entire fire management team,” said deputy superintendent David Elkowitz. “A special thanks to the firefighting teams. They will be working in hot, challenging conditions today.”