Wildfire — Brooks, Texas

2023-08-18 to 2023-08-19 · Brooks, Texas

Event narrative

The Electric Slide Fire in Brooks County burned 1,456 acres. A Spot Request was received at 3:47 PM CDT and satellite data was used to estimate the start time of the fire at around 2:41 PM CDT on August 18th. It was contained at 6:04 PM CDT on August 19th. The event known as the Electric Slide Fire was estimated to have ignited around 2:41 PM CDT about 2 miles southwest of Encino, TX on August 18th. It burned until the afternoon of August 19th when it was announced to be 100 percent contained at 6:04 PM CDT. This wildfire consumed a total of 1,456 acres between US HWY-281 on the eastern flank and County Road 304 on the northern flank. A Spot Request submitted by the Texas A&M Forest Service on August 18th and the GOES-16 Natural Fire RGB channel were used as a guide for ignition time and rapid spread that followed.

Wider weather episode

Conditions were very favorable for wildfire spread with high pressure and dry weather in place leading up to and during the day of August 18th. Moderate southeasterly winds combined with cured ground fuels from the developing drought allowed for rapid wildfire growth. The Electric Slide Fire in southcentral Brooks County ignited the afternoon of August 18th around 3:25 PM CDT and continued until 6:04 PM CDT on August 19th when it was announced it was 100 percent contained. The fire consumed a total of 1,456 acres.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1110721. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.