Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Gov. Perry: All Necessary State Resources Made Available to Protect Lives, Property
Urges Texans to Heed Warnings of Statewide Wildfire Threat
Monday, September 05, 2011 ? Austin, Texas
Gov. Rick Perry continues to closely monitor the ongoing wildfires with updates from his staff and State Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd.
He will return to Texas this afternoon. The governor is urging all Texans to closely monitor conditions and reports, and heed all warnings from local officials as extremely dry and windy conditions are expected to continue fueling wildfires that continue raging across the state.
"The wildfire situation in Texas is severe and all necessary state resources are being made available to protect lives and property," Gov. Perry said. "I urge Texans to take extreme caution as we continue to see the devastating effects of sweeping wildfires impacting both rural and urban areas of the state. Our thoughts and prayers are with the first responders who are working around the clock to keep Texans out of harm's way, and with the families across our state who are threatened by these wildfires."
Over the weekend, the Texas Forest Service (TFS) responded to 63 new fires that have burned approximately 32,936 acres, including new fires in Bastrop, Travis, Henderson, Limestone, Caldwell and Colorado counties, among others. TFS also continues to battle existing wildfires, including major fires in Palo Pinto, Briscoe, Coryell and Montague counties.
Additional state resources assisting with wildfire response include:
? Texas Forest Service, with 15 single-engine air tankers, 12 helicopters, and 13 aerial supervision aircraft assets deployed to multiple fires;
? Texas Military Forces, with 2 CH-47 Chinook Aircraft and 2 UH-60 Blackhawks staged in Austin to fight central Texas fires, 2 UH-60 Blackhawks in San Antonio assisting with the fires in Colorado County, and 3 ground wildfire support packages consisting of 4 dozers and 16 personnel each;
? Texas Department of Public Safety emergency management personnel, highway patrol troopers, air assets and a mobile communications center deployed to Bastrop County; and
? Texas Department of Transportation is providing personnel, equipment, and fuel to responders.
Additionally, the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS), a network of Texas fire departments willing to provide emergency resources to neighboring communities during the threat of disaster, is activated. TIFMAS resources deployed statewide include 13 command vehicles, 50 fire engines and 121 personnel (Central Texas resources specifically include five command vehicles, 19 fire engines and 47 personnel).
Since the beginning of wildfire season, local and state firefighters have responded to more than 20,900 fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and burned more than 3.6 million acres. Gov. Perry has reissued his disaster proclamation nine times this wildfire season; it was originally issued on Dec. 21, 2010.
In addition to the state proclamations in April, the governor sent a letter to President Obama requesting a Major Disaster Declaration, which would have made the state eligible for Direct Federal Assistance and Emergency Protective Measures from the federal government. The Obama Administration denied this request on May 3. Gov. Perry appealed the president's decision on May 26, and received partial approval of relief on July 1. A request to expand the scope of federal relief is still pending.
To view the governor's renewed disaster proclamation, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/16543/.
For more information on preparing for wildfire threats, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/wildfires.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/16557/
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Gov. Perry?s Remarks Regarding Wildfires in Bastrop County
* Note: Gov. Perry frequently departs from prepared remarks.
Monday, September 05, 2011 ? Bastrop, Texas
Thank you for being here.
This has been a long and difficult series of days for all too many Texans whose lives have been dramatically affected by the wildfires raging across Texas, and for the brave men and women fighting the flames.
Riding into Bastrop today was a positively surreal experience.
You hear the reports, see the video and pictures, but the impact of what's happening here and at other places across Texas doesn't become clear until you see the devastation first-hand.
Unfortunately, once again, the disastrous combination of fire, exceedingly dry conditions and high winds has led to the displacement of thousands of Texans and the devastation of more than 32,000 acres this weekend alone.
It's part of a wildfire season like we've never witnessed, from Palo Pinto County to Jeff Davis County to right here in Central Texas, with more than 3.5 million acres burned since I first declared a statewide disaster last December, an area roughly the size of the entire state of Connecticut.
These fires have destroyed more than 1,000 homes, uprooting the lives of individuals and families from across the Lone Star State.
In response to these immediate fires, Texas has deployed a wide variety of ground and air-based resources across affected areas, including at least 15 single-engine air tankers, 2 Chinook helicopters and 4 Blackhawk helicopters, as part of a cooperative effort between the Texas Forest Service, Texas Military Forces, the Department of Public Safety and TxDOT, among others.
We've got a long way to go until this immediate crisis is contained.
To that end, all Texans should heed all warnings relating to anything that might cause a brushfire.
At this point, I'm urging everyone to avoid any outdoor activity that could conceivably start a fire because you truly have no idea how quickly it can spread until you see it happen.
When conditions are as dry as they have been in Texas this year, all it takes is one spark to lay waste to countless homes, leading to the loss of lives, pets and livestock, and the legacy of generations.
I urge anyone in harm's way to follow instructions relating to evacuation orders and find your way to safety when fire threatens.
As cherished as homes and possessions may be, they're not worth losing your life over.
I'd also like to thank those of you in the media who have been passing along vital information to those in affected areas, and urge Texans to stay tuned to their reports about where wildfires are and what direction they're moving.
Of course, as always, there are those who are laying their lives on the line in the defense of their fellow Texans, the heroic firefighters who are working so diligently along the front lines.
These brave individuals are stretched thin, many of them working to the point of exhaustion, both physically and emotionally.
To our firefighters, I remind them that the gratitude of an entire state is with them, along with prayers for their well-being and success in their mission.
Our hopes and prayers are also with those displaced by these fires, and with those who lost so much this weekend.
As Texans do, your neighbors and your extended family throughout the state stand ready to pitch in and assist in whatever fashion we can manage to help you pick up the pieces and rebuild your homes, your communities and your lives.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/16558/
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Urges Texans to Heed Warnings of Statewide Wildfire Threat
Monday, September 05, 2011 ? Austin, Texas
Gov. Rick Perry continues to closely monitor the ongoing wildfires with updates from his staff and State Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd.
He will return to Texas this afternoon. The governor is urging all Texans to closely monitor conditions and reports, and heed all warnings from local officials as extremely dry and windy conditions are expected to continue fueling wildfires that continue raging across the state.
"The wildfire situation in Texas is severe and all necessary state resources are being made available to protect lives and property," Gov. Perry said. "I urge Texans to take extreme caution as we continue to see the devastating effects of sweeping wildfires impacting both rural and urban areas of the state. Our thoughts and prayers are with the first responders who are working around the clock to keep Texans out of harm's way, and with the families across our state who are threatened by these wildfires."
Over the weekend, the Texas Forest Service (TFS) responded to 63 new fires that have burned approximately 32,936 acres, including new fires in Bastrop, Travis, Henderson, Limestone, Caldwell and Colorado counties, among others. TFS also continues to battle existing wildfires, including major fires in Palo Pinto, Briscoe, Coryell and Montague counties.
Additional state resources assisting with wildfire response include:
? Texas Forest Service, with 15 single-engine air tankers, 12 helicopters, and 13 aerial supervision aircraft assets deployed to multiple fires;
? Texas Military Forces, with 2 CH-47 Chinook Aircraft and 2 UH-60 Blackhawks staged in Austin to fight central Texas fires, 2 UH-60 Blackhawks in San Antonio assisting with the fires in Colorado County, and 3 ground wildfire support packages consisting of 4 dozers and 16 personnel each;
? Texas Department of Public Safety emergency management personnel, highway patrol troopers, air assets and a mobile communications center deployed to Bastrop County; and
? Texas Department of Transportation is providing personnel, equipment, and fuel to responders.
Additionally, the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS), a network of Texas fire departments willing to provide emergency resources to neighboring communities during the threat of disaster, is activated. TIFMAS resources deployed statewide include 13 command vehicles, 50 fire engines and 121 personnel (Central Texas resources specifically include five command vehicles, 19 fire engines and 47 personnel).
Since the beginning of wildfire season, local and state firefighters have responded to more than 20,900 fires that have destroyed more than 1,000 homes and burned more than 3.6 million acres. Gov. Perry has reissued his disaster proclamation nine times this wildfire season; it was originally issued on Dec. 21, 2010.
In addition to the state proclamations in April, the governor sent a letter to President Obama requesting a Major Disaster Declaration, which would have made the state eligible for Direct Federal Assistance and Emergency Protective Measures from the federal government. The Obama Administration denied this request on May 3. Gov. Perry appealed the president's decision on May 26, and received partial approval of relief on July 1. A request to expand the scope of federal relief is still pending.
To view the governor's renewed disaster proclamation, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/16543/.
For more information on preparing for wildfire threats, please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/wildfires.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/16557/
----------------------------------------------------------------
Gov. Perry?s Remarks Regarding Wildfires in Bastrop County
* Note: Gov. Perry frequently departs from prepared remarks.
Monday, September 05, 2011 ? Bastrop, Texas
Thank you for being here.
This has been a long and difficult series of days for all too many Texans whose lives have been dramatically affected by the wildfires raging across Texas, and for the brave men and women fighting the flames.
Riding into Bastrop today was a positively surreal experience.
You hear the reports, see the video and pictures, but the impact of what's happening here and at other places across Texas doesn't become clear until you see the devastation first-hand.
Unfortunately, once again, the disastrous combination of fire, exceedingly dry conditions and high winds has led to the displacement of thousands of Texans and the devastation of more than 32,000 acres this weekend alone.
It's part of a wildfire season like we've never witnessed, from Palo Pinto County to Jeff Davis County to right here in Central Texas, with more than 3.5 million acres burned since I first declared a statewide disaster last December, an area roughly the size of the entire state of Connecticut.
These fires have destroyed more than 1,000 homes, uprooting the lives of individuals and families from across the Lone Star State.
In response to these immediate fires, Texas has deployed a wide variety of ground and air-based resources across affected areas, including at least 15 single-engine air tankers, 2 Chinook helicopters and 4 Blackhawk helicopters, as part of a cooperative effort between the Texas Forest Service, Texas Military Forces, the Department of Public Safety and TxDOT, among others.
We've got a long way to go until this immediate crisis is contained.
To that end, all Texans should heed all warnings relating to anything that might cause a brushfire.
At this point, I'm urging everyone to avoid any outdoor activity that could conceivably start a fire because you truly have no idea how quickly it can spread until you see it happen.
When conditions are as dry as they have been in Texas this year, all it takes is one spark to lay waste to countless homes, leading to the loss of lives, pets and livestock, and the legacy of generations.
I urge anyone in harm's way to follow instructions relating to evacuation orders and find your way to safety when fire threatens.
As cherished as homes and possessions may be, they're not worth losing your life over.
I'd also like to thank those of you in the media who have been passing along vital information to those in affected areas, and urge Texans to stay tuned to their reports about where wildfires are and what direction they're moving.
Of course, as always, there are those who are laying their lives on the line in the defense of their fellow Texans, the heroic firefighters who are working so diligently along the front lines.
These brave individuals are stretched thin, many of them working to the point of exhaustion, both physically and emotionally.
To our firefighters, I remind them that the gratitude of an entire state is with them, along with prayers for their well-being and success in their mission.
Our hopes and prayers are also with those displaced by these fires, and with those who lost so much this weekend.
As Texans do, your neighbors and your extended family throughout the state stand ready to pitch in and assist in whatever fashion we can manage to help you pick up the pieces and rebuild your homes, your communities and your lives.
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/16558/
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