Fire prompts evacuations in Runaway Bay

Boones Creek Fire evacuation area in Runaway Bay.

Wise County Messenger
By Austin Jackson 
August 02, 2023

Some Runaway Bay residents have evacuated their homes as multiple Wise County fire departments and state and surrounding county resources battle a grass fire that is threatening homes in the area.

The evacuation area includes 180 threatened homes.

AERIAL ATTACK — A helicopter pulls water from Lake Bridgeport to help douse flames from a grass fire that’s threatening approximately 200 structures in Runaway Bay.
BRENDAN MARCHAND/WCMESSENGER

The fire, which is now being called the Boones Creek Fire, originated in the area of County Road 3701 and Valley Ridge Drive at around noon Wednesday.  It had spread to around 80 acres and was 50 percent contained at 6 p.m. At 3 p.m. the fire pushed northeast, prompting the Runaway Bay Police Department to start evacuations on Port O Call Drive in Runaway Bay.

The evacuations area includes residences along Port O Call Drive from Cimmarron Trail to the intersection of U.S. 380 and Runaway Bay Drive, near the One Stop gas station.

The blaze comes as Wise County is under a Red Flag fire danger warning due to critical fire threat conditions, which include extremely dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and strong winds averaging between 10 to 15 mph, with gusts that could reach 20 mph. The fire is located in a heavily wooded area, further complicating the response effort.

Helicopters have been pulling water out of Lake Bridgeport and fixed wing aerial assets have made passes as the suppression effort stretches into the evening. The fire will likely remain active well into Thursday.

In addition to ground and aerial assets, Wise County Office of Emergency Management, which activated the Wise County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Wednesday, requested strike teams from surrounding areas to assist in the effort.

Responding agencies include multiple local departments, Texas A&M Forest Service air assets and a structure protection team, and one Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) Strike Team.

Those resources were temporarily diverted to a gas fire in Rhome, which torched three 18-wheelers and approximately 15 acres of nearby grass. The fire broke out at around 4:30 p.m. A ground and aerial suppression effort halted the forward progression of the blaze.

Responding agencies include Rhome Volunteer Fire Department, East Wise VFD, Newark VFD, Paradise VFD, Wise County ESD No. 1, Wise County EMS, Parker County Strike Team and the Texas A&M Forest Service.