State and Area Firefighter Crews Continue to Battle Devastating Mesquite Heat Wildfire Near Abilene

ABILENE – Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) fire resources responded to several new requests for assistance on wildfires across the state Friday evening. Crews continued suppression operations on carryover wildfires as well.

The Southern Area Gold Type 2 Incident Management Team has arrived in Texas and will assume command of the Mesquite Heat Fire. An incident management team is mobilized during complex emergency incidents to provide a command and control infrastructure to manage that incident.

The Mesquite Heat wildfire near Abilene has burned about 9,613 acres and was 25% contained Friday night.  A couple of cold fronts blowing through Saturday could complicate fighting the wildfire but they will increase rain chances beginning Sunday. 

Active Fires:

- Coppic Fire, Brown County - 90 acres, 90% contained

- Twin Starts Fire, Llano County - 453 acres, 90% contained

- Mesquite Heat Fire, Taylor County - est. 9,613 acres, 25% contained

- Coconut Fire, Wilbarger County - 28,448 acres, 75% contained

- Pope 2 Fire, Schleicher County - 2,530 acres, 90% contained

- Mayfield Fire, San Saba County - 1,295 acres, 95% contained 

Contained Fires (100%):

- Dry Branch Fire, Hamilton County - 1,407 acres

- Sandstone Mountain Fire, Llano County - 351 acres

- Slab Road Fire, Llano County - 57 acres

- Johnson Fork Fire, Kimble County - 55 acres

- San Augustine 3042 Fire, San Augustine County - 1 acre

- Cass 3035 Fire, Cass County - 2 acres

- Cass 3043 Fire, Cass County - 1 acre

- Harrison 3041 Fire, Harrison County - 11 acres

- Jasper 3045 Fire, Jasper County - 1 acre

To view the Texas A&M Forest Service statewide active fire response map, navigate to https://public.tfswildfires.com.