A wildfire in Western Travis County that burned nearly 200 acres was almost completely contained Tuesday evening thanks to the efforts of more than 90 Central Texas firefighters, officials said.
The fire on private property near Hamilton Pool Road caused nearby Milton Reimers Ranch Park to remain closed for safety reasons and to provide emergency responders accessibility to the site, said John Durham, assistant chief with Lake Travis Fire Rescue.
There have been no reports of injuries or damage to any structures, he said.
Durham described the blaze as being 95 percent contained as firefighters worked to put out remaining hot spots.
Travis County officials said it was too early to tell what impact the fire and firefighting efforts may have had on the county-owned park and the neighboring environment.
The wildfire started Sunday and flared up again Monday before going to four alarms by 3 p.m. that day, drawing emergency crews from Travis, Hays and nearby counties.
Robert Abbott, an assistant chief with Lake Travis Fire Rescue, said three homes in the area were threatened by the fire. Residents there were evacuated Monday and returned to their homes later that evening.
Abbott said numerous fire engines, STAR Flight helicopters and bulldozers from the Texas Forest Service were on hand to help fight the blaze. He said firefighters were prepared to spray flame-retardant foam on the threatened structures if it had been necessary.
Firefighters from Austin, Lake Travis, Hays County, Oak Hill, Westlake, Ce-Bar and others, along with Austin-Travis County EMS, were involved in the effort, Abbott said.
Lake Travis Fire Rescue Chief Jim Linardos said that with hot and dry weather likely sticking around until October, Central Texans who live in rural areas need to be prepared for the threat of wildfires. That includes removing flammable trees and plants near homes and picking up trash and leaves in places such as roofs and gutters.
Linardos said anything flammable within 30 to 50 feet of a home should be removed.
"The bottom line is, people need to do everything they can to protect their homes before the fire happens," he said.
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