NEWS
Texas firefighters head to California
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Some 98 firefighters from 29 Texas fire departments in 20 counties will head to California this week to fight wildfires that have burned more than 750,000 acres. The deployment is an activation of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) for wildfire suppression in Texas and beyond.
“It’s about neighbors helping neighbors,” said Tom Boggus, Texas A&M Forest Service director. “We call TIFMAS our ‘surge capacity’ for Texas. Guess this time their reach is a bit farther away but we hope to make a big impact in people’s lives.”
Last week, California requested help from Texas A&M Forest Service through TIFMAS, the fire and rescue framework that provides wildfire and all-hazard incident support. Under Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) authorization, Texas will also send 25 fire engines with five strike teams to the 290,692-acre Mendocino Complex, the largest wildfire in California history.
“Nationally, we know that resources are tapped,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Chief Regional Coordinator, Steve Pollock, who is heading up the Texas convoy to California. “We are glad to help out and that TIFMAS firefighters were able to answer the call. The apparatus we are deploying are a mix of small and mid-sized engines used in structure fires.”
California currently has 20 uncontained wildfires. Scorching temperatures and explosive fire conditions have made them difficult to suppress or contain. So far, nine persons have died, thousands have been evacuated and nearly 160 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the Mendocino Complex, comprised of the 241,772-acre Ranch Fire, eight miles northeast of Ukiah and the 48,920-acre River Fire, six miles north of Hopland, California.
Texas remains entrenched in its own wildfire season, so state fire officials here are planning carefully. To date, 6,975 Texas wildfires have been reported burning more than 492,393 acres. Local fire departments participating in the California mutual aid effort include:
Abilene Fire Department, Austin Fire Department, Baytown Fire Department, Borger Fire Department, Bryan Fire Department, Canyon Lake Fire Department, College Station Fire Department, Dallas Fire and Rescue Department, District 7 Fire Rescue, Frisco Fire Department, Galveston Fire Department, Kyle Fire Department, Lake Cities Fire Department, Lewisville Fire Department, Little Elm Fire Department, Lubbock Fire Department, Montgomery County ESD # 6 (Porter Fire), Nacogdoches Fire and Rescue, Oak Hill Fire Department, Travis Co. ESD#3, Parker County ESD #1, Round Rock Fire Department, San Antonio Fire Department, Schertz Fire Department, Southlake Fire Department, Stephenville Fire Department,
Texas A&M Forest Service, Webster Fire Department, Wichita Falls Fire Department and Willis Fire Department.
A convoy of transports deployed last night and more engines are rolling out for the two-day trip to northern California. Responders will board flights beginning tomorrow and are expected to report for duty by Thursday morning, Aug. 9, 2018.
“We will be praying for them as they convoy to the Mendocino Complex,” said Boggus. “This is truly a joint effort and TFS appreciates the partnerships involved to deliver this assistance.”
For more information about TIFMAS please visit www.tifmas.org.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
With just 10 days left until the May 4 school bond election, Bowie Independent School District officials made a final push this week to get information out to the public.
The district conducted two town hall meetings at different times on April 24 and took part in a virtual town hall the day before. There were almost 40 people attending, which is more than all the town hall meetings conducted during the October vote. Another 12-15 attended a noontime meeting.
Superintendent Blake Enlow went through a powerpoint outlining the bond proposal and then took questions. The same bond plan failed last November 1,079 to 855.
The plan includes the following projects: A new intermediate school for grades three to five, built at the corner of Rock and Tarrant. The existing junior high is overcapacity and due to age is Texas Education Agency non-compliant.
The 100-plus year old building will be repurposed for offices and staff development. The existing BJH gyms will be maintained for community use. The new intermediate will handle 600 students and include a storm shelter, ballistic rated entrance glazing and keep student traffic away from the street.
The junior high students would move to the existing intermediate after renovations. There will be a dedicated sixth grade wing, a renovated ag science facility and a new weight room and fieldhouse. The old classrooms, gym and locker would be renovated. The school also would include storm shelter areas, ballistic glazing and keep students away from the street.
The existing elementary campus will receive a new bus lane and covered pick-up and drop-off areas, as well as new staff and visitor parking that allows for safe walking to the entry. The existing high school will have a new weight room which it does not have now, plus new restrooms at the baseball/softball fields with a handicap parking area.
Citizens asked questions about how the plan was developed and how the costs figures were calculated.
Read the full story and citizens questions in the weekend Bowie News.
Pictured above: Superintendent Blake Enlow talks to citizens at a bond election town hall meeting Thursday night.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Manager Bert Cunningham presented a lengthy monthly report to the city council Monday night updating the group on the various building projects and program grant applications.
The council has not met since March 11 due to a lack of action items, so there was a lot to catch up with.
City Manager report
Nelson Street project – Cunningham said the project is proceeding well. Downstream of the bridge the contractor is about to pour concrete into the creek to maintain the water flow. The main streets also are being cleared of debris so they will be ready for the pending concrete pour.
Right now the biggest obstacle is the unfinished drop box at the intersection of Mill and Nelson. In flux for the last couple of months, the engineer is requiring the contractor remove the drop box because the dirt under the structure was not compaction tested as required by the contract.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
The final two days of early voting for the May 4 school bond elections in Bowie and Forestburg will be April 29-30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bowie Senior Citizens Center.
Sample ballots are available on the county website at co.montague.tx.us, click on the elections tab. As of 2 p.m. Thursday the total was 741 for early voting for both districts’
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