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Oak Hill fire mostly contained, fire crews working on hot spots
Updated 4 p.m. The fire in Oak Hill is 90 percent contained, according to fire officials, and crews are still working to put out hot spots.
Austin firefighter Edward Lee said that although there are no more actual fires in the Oak Hill area, there are still homes that are extremely hot. Crews are working to either demolish destroyed homes or to douse all hot embers.
“We just want to make sure we are eliminating every threat of another fire,” Lee said. “The conditions are ripe for rekindling or flare-ups.”
Lee said it is likely that several fire crews will stay in the area until Tuesday morning.
Update 1:30 p.m.: Fire officials have allowed residents who were evacuated to return to their homes, but some houses have been so damaged that homeowners might not be able to access their property, officials said.
Crews remain on the scene of the brush fire clearing any hot spots that might flare up, officials say.
Residents returning home have been sharing stories and consoling each other throughout the day. Some reported seeing flames 30 to 40 feet above their homes.
Update 9:30 a.m.: A homeless man left hot coals unattended at a campfire Sunday afternoon, sparking a wildfire that ravaged a section of Oak Hill and destroyed several homes, officials said today.
Michael Bernard Weathers, 60, has been charged with arson, a state jail felony, records show. He is in the Travis County Jail on $50,000 bail.
Weathers told investigators yesterday that he started a fire about 7 a.m. but then left it unattended about noon to walk to a nearby convenience store, according to an arrest affidavit.
The fire burned about 100 acres near the ACC’s Pinnacle Campus and severely damaged 11 homes, officials said. Ten other homes suffered minor damage, officials said.
Click here for a map of homes that were damaged
The only injury reported was an Austin firefighter who broke his thumb.
Officials hope to allow evacuated residents to return home by this afternoon. For updated information, call 974-6199.
The fire is about 50 percent contained this morning, a fire official said, and nine fire companies remain on the scene.
A fire retardant that was dropped on the flames is biodegradable and can be removed by showering and washing clothes as normal, officials said. Pets should be bathed as well.
Earlier: Austin fire officials early this morning said most residents evacuated from their homes after a wildfire ravaged a section of Oak Hill on Sunday will get to return today.
Austin fire officials said they will put out word later this morning when those residents can return. Homeowners whose homes were destroyed will be able to salvage some belongings, Austin fire spokesman Randy Elmore said.
About 20 homes were damaged, including 10 that were significantly damaged or destroyed, Elmore said.
Austin fire officials also released new details regarding a suspect charged in connection to the fire. A man who was at a homeless camp close to the U.S. 290 and Convict Hill area went to authorities and confessed about 4 p.m. yesterday, Elmore said.
The man said he was cooking eggs at the camp shortly before the wildfire began, Elmore said.
His name is expected to be released later today, he said.
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