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Officials urge residents to evacuate as crews battle wildfire near Highway 71 in Bastrop County
The fire – now named the Powder Keg Pine fire – is in the vicinity of State Highway 71 and Harmon Road.
BASTROP COUNTY, Texas — The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office said several agencies are responding to a wildfire on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire – now named the Powder Keg Pine fire – is in the vicinity of State Highway 71 and Harmon Road. Crews are working to get the fire under control.
The Austin Fire Department and Travis County ESDs called in multiple units to assist in containing the wildfire. As of Tuesday at 5:05 p.m., the fire was 25% contained and burned 40 acres.
Officials are asking those who live in the area between Harmon Road and Pine Hill Loop to evacuate the area. They are asking those residents to go to a safe location while crews work on containing the fire.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) closed down westbound Highway 71 at FM 153 near Smithville because of the fire in the area. Eastbound lanes are not impacted by this fire.
Powder Keg Pine fire burning in Bastrop County
KVUE’s Daranesha Herron is on the scene of the Powder Keg Pine fire where crews are dumping water. People were seen spraying the perimeter of their homes with water to prevent them from catching fire, according to KVUE’s crew on the scene.
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative said crews cut the power lines in the area near the fire along Highway 71. Bastrop County emergency operations asked Bluebonnet to cut the power “for the safety of first responders and residents evacuating their homes and businesses.”
Bluebonnet’s outage map shows the areas that are impacted.
Emergency management reported no injuries or damages to any homes or structures in the area.
Anyone who has been impacted by the evacuation and needs shelter and a cooling center can contact the hotline at 512-303-4300.
Central Texas is under a burn ban that prohibits or restricts outdoor burning for public safety.