The King Ranch wildfire, now referred to as the “Borrega Fire” continues to grow this morning. As of this update, 60,000 acres have been affected and the fire is 20 percent contained. Kleberg Country crews and Count Judge Rudy Madrid are requesting the aid of brush trucks and tankers to help in fighting the fire, according to The City of Kingsville’s Facebook post. Madrid is also reaching out to the Costal Bend Council of Government for resources.
“We are currently receiving mutual aid from multiple counties, the City of Kingsville, King Ranch, NAS Kingsville, Tx Dot, the Area Council of Government and the Texas Forestry Task Force,” Madrid said in an update this morning. “We are working hand-in-hand with the Governor’s Executive Leadership Team from Texas Division of Emergency Management for additional resources.”
Voluntary evacuation orders in Ricardo and Riviera are still in effect. However, there is no mandatory order just yet.
Several area fire crews are still out battling the fire including the Texas Forestry Task Force and Kingsville, Ricardo and Riviera fire departments. The Naval Air Station in Kingsville is also providing support.
According to reports, the fire is approximately four miles south of Kingsville. The cause of the fire is unknown currently. The fire began Wednesday at Highway 281 and CR 141 and quickly burned through the King Ranch, reaching a few miles west of the city. It is now moving south parallel to Highway 77.
At this time, the University Emergency Management Team is monitoring the fire. It is currently 10 miles from campus and not seen as a threat so far. Students should keep an eye on their email accounts for more updates.
Voluntary evacuations begin as wildfire continues to spread south
Voluntary evacuations have begun as a wildfire continues to burn from State Highway 141 to 285, burning 10,000 acres of ranch land in the process. Fire crews from surrounding areas such as Alice, Premont and Ben Bolt as well as state agencies have joined crews in Kingsville to fight the blaze. As of this this report, only 15 percent of the fire that began early this afternoon has been controlled.
Residents living around the area of the fire are keeping a close eye on the news and refreshing social media frequently to see if evacuation is necessary.
“My grandma and I live in Ricardo, and they are already evacuating residents who live two county roads next to us,” Communications major Makaylah Chavez, who is also Managing Editor of The South Texan, said late Wednesday evening. “We’re scared and we probably won’t sleep tonight just incase we get told to evacuate. We packed about a week’s worth of clothes, important documents, and now we’re just trying to figure out where we are going to stay if we are told to leave.”
While Chavez and her family have not had to evacuate just yet, families living in the Ricardo and King Ranch areas have evacuated for precaution. However, evacuation was difficult for the people who have livestock, as they had to ensure their animals would be as safe as can be during the time.
“I loaded up all the cattle and horses into our trailer and am currently transporting them to a safer area for the night,” Ricardo resident John Mata said. “Before leaving, I opened the water hose pipe to flood the barn and house, to hopefully have wet enough ground if the fire is to spread to our property.”
Currently, there are about 11 entities such as the Naval Air Station, the Texas Forestry Task Force, air support, The King Ranch, and the Ricardo and Riviera Fire departments assisting the Kingsville Fire Department in fighting the ongoing fire.
Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid is ordering voluntary evacuations for residents on the west sides of Ricardo and Riviera.
People who need immediate shelter are encouraged to call Human Services Director David Garcia at (361) 228-1892.