Wildfire, Willacy
- When
- September 12, 3:08 PM CST to September 14, 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Willacy forecast zone
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
- Coordinates
- 26.477, -97.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The US Fish and Wildlife Service reported the development of several wildfires during the afternoon of September 12th on tracts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Willacy County. The fires, which covered 300, 81, and 105 acres, respectively, morphed into a complex that covered 465 acres in an area bounded by State Highway 186, the Hidalgo County line, and East Lake.
Weather conditions across the area for much of the month prior to the fires' development features afternoon humidity between 15 and 20 percent, temperatures between 100 and 107 degrees, and pulse gust 20 foot winds between 15 and 20 mph.
On the day of the rapid fire growth, afternoon temperatures reached 103, humidity fell below 25 percent, and winds gusted between 14 and 20 mph. The fires were gradually contained through the 13th and 14th, with 75% containment by 5 PM CST on the 14th and 90 percent containment by 8 PM CST on the 14th.