Medina County Das Goat fire is now 70% contained, has burned more than 1,000 acres

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The Das Goat fire near Medina Lake is still blazing, but is reportedly more than half contained.

The Medina County Office of Emergency Management said the fire was 70% contained Monday afternoon.

The county was under a burn ban when it began late Friday after a vehicle caught fire while driving. The fire jumped to brush when the driver pulled the car onto the side of the road.

As of Sunday, the fire had torched more than 1,000 acres and destroyed at least three homes. No injuries were reported.

Medina County officials are operating a shelter in Helotes at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church located at 13715 Riggs Road. The shelter can be called at 210-602-7233.

Some roads will remain closed today, including CR 2615 from North of Paradise Canyon to CR 265, officials said. CR 271 will remain closed from CR 265 for three miles South.

Officials plan to reopen CR 2615 around 9 a.m. Tuesday, including the entrance to the High Mountain subdivision. The neighborhood will be open to residents only and will need to present valid identification to enter.

CR 271 is planned to open by noon Tuesday.

Gov. Greg Abbott enacted a disaster declaration for Medina County, amending a statewide declaration made March 18 for Blanco, Brooks, Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath,
Grayson, Hood, Mason, Potter, Randall, Runnels, Starr, and Williamson counties. The proclamation was made in response to a number of fires that began as fire conditions heightened across the Lone Star State.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said that fire conditions will continue to worsen through the week, noting that critical fire conditions are expected to develop over the state west of the I-35 corridor.

“As conditions across a large portion of the state worsen, wildfires that ignite are burning more intensely and are frequently resistant to control,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “Unfortunately, little to no precipitation is forecast for the immediate future and we expect the current level of wildfire activity to continue for some time.”

In March, state and local resources have responded to 726 wildfires that burned 164,257 acres across the state, the Texas A&M Forest Service said. In the last seven days alone, the Forest Service said, there have been 121 wildfires that have burned more than 35, 700 acres, including the Das Goat fire.