House Declared a Total Loss after Controlled Burn Gets Out of Hand

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS -- The Tom Green County Sheriff's Office and the Water Valley and Grape Creek Volunteer Fire Departments have responded to a structure fire in the 10000 block of Indian Creek Road. 

At 3:30 p.m. first responders were dispatched to the fire. In a Nixle alert from the Tom Green Green County Sheriff's Office it has been advised for residents to evacuate the area of W. Indian Creek Rd. and Glass Court Rd. due to the structure fire. The Sheriff's office has advised residents to use extreme caution. 

At this time LIVE! is on scene and our reporter at the scene has been advised by an on-scene officer that possible propane tanks are in the immediate area of the fire. 

LIVE! will continue updating the story as more information becomes available. 

UPDATE: 5:15 p.m.

The fire that firefighters have been battling since  3:15 p.m. this afternoon occurred after flames from a controlled burn traveled across the grass and engulfed a nearby residence. 

Lt. Christina Lopez with the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office  stated that the fire is contained but that the house has been determined a total loss. No injuries were reported from the fire, and all residents of the house were able to exit the residence before the house was fully engulfed. 

The residents who were evacuated from their homes in the 10400 block of West Indian Creek Road can now return to their homes. 

The Grape Creek, Carlsbad, and Water Valley Volunteer Fire Departments as well as Forest Service personnel and the Sheriff's office responded to the fire. 

As of right now, the fire is under investigation, but Lt. Lopez has classified the fire as a controlled burn that got out of hand. 

UPDATE: June 29, 2017, 4:45 p.m.

In a press release from the Sheriff's office this afternoon, investigating officials have clarified the reason for yesterday's fire that claimed the home of a Grape Creek family. 

According to officials, a home owner was conducting a controlled burn in a trash barrel when the winds picked up and the fire quickly became out of control.  The fire traveled across the property threatening structures and engulfing a nearby residence. 

Grape Creek VFD, Water Valley VFD, Carlsbad Fire VFD and Forest Service arrived on scene and began battling the blaze.  Tom Green County Sheriff’s Deputies went around evacuating the area of W. Indian Creek and Glass Court. Once the Fire Departments had the fire contained and the threat was gone, Deputies began letting residence return to their homes.  No injuries were reported from the fire and all residents of the home were able to exit prior to the home becoming engulfed. 

This fire, the Sheriff's office concludes, was a controlled burn which became out of hand, not a prescribed burn.  In order to have a prescribed burn a person must have permission from the Commissioners Court and must have a burn plan in place.