Update: Westcliff & Woodlands area now open
Wildfire 5-29-11 #5 UPDATE 12:15am As of 12:15AM the City of Amarillo has lifted the mandatory evacuation for the Westcliff and the Woodlands area with the exception of Brookfield Street in Westcliff. This street remains closed at Coulter to the public. Potter County officials are keeping the mandatory evacuation in the Cliffside Estates, Mesquite Acres, Tascosita and the Stoneridge neighborhood (just north of 9th & Soncy). Tascosa Road from Coulter to Loop 335 will remain closed overnight.
Fire units will continue to patrol the area for any hot spots that might flare up. Some Fire and Police units and personnel have been released to return to their normal duties and/or timeoff. There are no further damage reports available at this time. The Emergency Operation Center is staffing down but will continue to support the field units and will remain open till 2:30am unless additional fires spark up.
Wildfire 5-29-11 #4 UPDATE on wildfire that started in Northwest Amarillo. A 911 call was received around 5:43pm for a vehicle that was on fire near 9th and Soncy. It is unknown how the vehicle caught on fire.
The fire spread quickly and proceeded in a Northern direction. The fire caused damage to some structures in the Tascosita addition and to structures in the Westcliff area. The fire as of 10:00pm is still not fully under control. At 8:30pm the City of Amarillo and Potter County officials declared a Mandatory evacuation for several neighborhoods; Woodlands, Westcliff, Cliffside Estates, Mesquite Acres, and Tascosita.
AFD, Potter Co Fire, Randall Co, Fire, as well as units from Dumas, Childress, Pampa, Hansford County and 2 task force units from the Texas Forrest Service are continuing to battle the fire.
The Amarillo Fire Department has 21 units on scene and has done a general alarm for off duty firemen to report. The fire continues to threaten homes in the above neighborhoods.
At this time reports are 7 structures have been damaged or lost. There are additional reports of damaged property but they have not been confirmed at this time. There are approximately 110 people in the receiving center (being run by the Red Cross) located at Grace Church at Plains & Western.
Sunday evening will not soon be forgotten for many Amarillo residents.
It was a night when flames and smoke filled the air and prompted mandatory evacuations for several areas in Amarillo. Unfortunately, Pronews 7 confirmed at least seven structures were damaged or lost as a result of the blaze.
This is the second time in a week parts of the Amarillo have been invaded by fire. The fire was wind-driven and pushed by Sunday's record breaking 103 degree heat.
As for the cause of the fire, Pronews 7 confirmed it started when a vehicle caught fire near 9th and Soncy at around 5:43 Sunday evening. Officials said the fire then spread quickly in a northern direction.
The City of Amarillo has not yet released any new information regarding the status of the evacuations in Cliffside Estates, Mesquite Acres, Tasosita and Stoneridge neighborhood. Tascosa Rd. from Coulter to Loop 335 remained closed overnight
(C) Steve Douglass
