Single Publication

August 9, 2023

Size: 1,320 acres

Containment: 80%

Date Started: August 6, 2023

Cause: Unknown 

Structures: There has been confirmation of three outbuildings lost.

Evacuations: There were voluntary evacuations in place initially but those have been since lifted.

The Double Back Fire started on August 6, 2023, and was responded to by multiple fire departments from Johnson County initially. Texas A&M Forest Service was requested for assistance at 3:00 p.m. and responded with aviation resources, heavy equipment, and engines from Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS). Multiple departments from Johnson, Hood, Erath, Bosque, Somervell, and Parker counties are working in Unified command with Texas A&M Forest Service, and Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).

Closures: There are no road closures at this time.

Yesterday: Engine crews and a dozer were able to construct containment lines directly against the fire’s edge and keep the fire from spreading into some still unburned areas. This led to an overall reduction in the area burned as crews isolated some of the areas they previously expected to burn. Resources did observer some flare ups as interior pockets of unburned fuels continued to burn themselves up inside the burn perimeter. Engines continued to patrol around the fire and search for any areas of heat to suppress. Additionally, crews worked along some of the roads around this fire making sure that flames and heat along the roads are out and not presenting any risk to the public.

Today: Crews are going to continue patrolling around the area and the fire watching for any areas of heat or activity. With how patchy some of this fire burned, there may continue to be smoke visible from the area even after the fire is declared contained. Residents can expect to see some smoke or ash raising from the burned area as the scar remains even after the fire. High winds can pick up tall columns of ash that look likes smoke but are just being blown by high winds over loose soil.

Weather and Fire Behavior: High winds are expected again today with gusts between 25 and 30 mph. Temperatures and relative humidity should be similar to yesterday’s but will recover to 75% tonight. Very high to extreme fire danger will continue across North Texas for the next several days.

Fire Information

Adam Turner

Public Information Officer, Texas A&M Forest Service

Email: adam.turner@tfs.tamu.edu

Phone: 940-328-9158

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/txtxs-storage-fire

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