CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In Aransas Pass, fire crews were still battling hot spots from a huge brush fire that began on Wednesday. During the worst of the fire, they fought it by land and by air.
"We had several aerial resources that did respond to the fire. Kind of going into the mutual aid aspect and calling the aerial resources because homes were potentially threatened,” Texas A&M Forestry Service Program Specialist Heather Gonzales said.
That threat led to evacuation orders for dozens of nearby residents like Diane Kaster, who was home when the fire started.
It was blazing away, and they said it was time for us to evacuate,” Kaster said.
Kaster had no problem with the order to evacuate.
"They did the right thing getting us all evacuated and they waited to make sure the houses were clear when we came out,” Kaster said.
Fire crews from six counties responded to the fire, along with state and federal agencies.
24 hours later, firefighters were still at the scene looking for hot spots. Up in the sky, tanker planes doused any signs of fire.
This is the second fire Kaster has experienced while living in this neighborhood. So, she knows the importance of having a plan.
"Get your papers, insurance and all that and get everyone out safely,” Kaster said.
This year's drought conditions have created a bigger risk for fires like the one that happened in Aransas Pass. Moderate drought conditions, gusty winds, and hot temperatures were an added challenge for fire crews. Doing what you can to prevent a brush fire isn't enough.
As residents here have learned, knowing what to do when one happens is just as important.
