ROBSTOWN, Texas — A blaze ravaged the area near Robstown around noon on Thursday.
On the corner of county roads 30 and 81, smoke and flames filled the area as agencies responded from the Annaville, Agua Dulce, and Robstown Fire Departments along with Nueces County Constable Precinct 5.
To put out the fire, a plane flew overhead, spraying orange fire retardant across the area. A helicopter did the same with a similar black substance.
What is left is a few burned cars, a burned boat and eight burned structures; much of the grass and trees are also charred.
Gary Blumberg, a neighbor that lives about three blocks from the fire, said a fire hadn’t affected his neighborhood for about five years. He said fires aren’t very common in the area. He was alerted about Thursday’s fire by his neighbor.
“He said there’s a fire. I walked outside, I didn’t see anything to the West. I turned to the East and there I saw a big ball of smoke. It looked like it was burning trash. I couldn’t really tell,” Blumberg said.
Blumberg had to wait in his car for about three hours before fire crews and police gave him the go-ahead to go back to his house after they blocked off the area.
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said initial investigations found it was a tractor mower igniting that sparked the fire. She said the fire burned 27 acres of land and fire crews were evacuating residents in the area.
We're told they’re calling this the Pintas Creek Fire. Canales said because there’s been so many fires in Nueces County due to dry conditions, they’re naming all the fires to keep track of them.
She said there’s resources available to those who have been affected by the fire.
“Social services would be making certain that they have the ability to have shelter and adequate basic necessities if they don’t have clothes because they were destroyed in the fire, and living arrangements,” Canales aid.
She said no injuries or deaths have been reported due to the fire.
