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‘Alamo’ movie set fire 95 percent contained, officials say
“The Alamo” movie set fire in southwestern Travis County is 95 percent contained as crews work toward full containment ahead of a cool front tonight that could bring strong winds and lightning, officials said Thursday.
The fire near Hamilton Pool Road consumed 150 acres, revised down from 200 acres after crews walked through the site during daylight for a more accurate read of the blaze’s impact, fire officials said. It consumed structures used in 2003’s “The Alamo” film set, officials have said.
The fire had reached 85 percent containment Wednesday night, and that number was upgraded to 95 percent by this morning, said Assistant Fire Chief Robert Abbott for the Lake Travis Fire Rescue department, otherwise known as Travis County Emergency Services District No. 6.
“Tonight is very important,” said Lexi Maxwell, spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service. “They are really trying to zip it up and give (the fire) a good perimeter. That way if you have sparks that flare up, they just roll into the black. That will be their motivation behind their ops today, to lock this down.”
Maxwell walked through the remnants of “The Alamo” film set Wednesday and said while an initial count of six to nine structures were destroyed, upon closer examination, those larger structures may have comprised many smaller structures.
Maxwell counted at least “20 to 30 smaller structures, some of those were movie set sheds sitting in long straight rows. Some are narrow (structures) that are all together.”
Also consumed in the fire was a fee booth and an abandoned maintenance building for the park, Maxwell said.
“The Alamo” film set was largely constructed with two-by-fours, stucco and chicken wire, and the structures were not very well maintained since being left there in 2003, Maxwell and Abbott said. Some of the structures had already been damaged by weather since their construction, they said.
“They were really dilapidated,” Maxwell said. “Most of these set buildings were not built to last.”
Maxwell, however, urges area residents to remain vigilant in protecting their properties as dry conditions continue by following “Firewise” principles. Those can be found by going to firewise.org and include information on how to clear landscaping and home treatments that give residents a better chance at protecting their homes from wildfire.
“Wildfire risk can be reduced on residences and other structures by applying Firewise concepts to the buildings and the landscape surrounding them,” Maxwell said. “We’ve got to let people know they can do something, they don’t have to be defenseless victims.”
