UPDATE (8/2, 7:30 a.m.)
BLUM, Texas — The Blum Fire is now 100 percent contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service fire tracker.
UPDATE (7/31, 10 a.m.)
BLUM, Texas — The Blum Fire has been contained to 95 percent and has remained at 300 acres as of today, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service fire tracker.
UPDATE (7/29, 10 p.m.)
BLUM, Texas — The Blum Fire has been contained to 80 percent and has remained at 300 acres as of 10 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service fire tracker.
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
UPDATE (7/28, 7 p.m.)
BLUM, Texas — The Blum Fire has been contained to 50 percent and has remained at 300 acres as of 7 p.m. Friday, according to Hill County Emergency Management.
Hill County EM also said some outbuildings were lost to the fire but still no homes have been destroyed contrary to earlier reports.
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
UPDATE (7/28, 4 p.m.)
BLUM, Texas — Highway 933 has been reopened, Hill County Emergency Management said Friday afternoon.
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
UPDATE (7/28, 10 a.m.)
BLUM, Texas — The Texas A&M Forest Service reports the Blum Fire is 40 percent contained.
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
UPDATE (7/27, 6 p.m.)
BLUM, Texas — After first reporting that five homes were lost in the Blum wildfire, officials now say that after official assessment of the burned area, there have been no homes destroyed in the fire.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, while no homes have been affected, one outbuilding is confirmed to have been lost.
Update: it was initially reported that 5 homes were destroyed by the #BlumFire. After further assessment of the burned area, this was determined not to be true. No homes have been destroyed by the fire. One outbuilding, however, is confirmed to have been lost to the fire. #txfire
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) July 27, 2023
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
UPDATE
BLUM, Texas — As of Thursday early afternoon, the Blum wildfire is at 30 percent containment but has grown to 300 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
On Thursday morning, a TFS briefing said a bulldozer line along the fire's northern flank has been the focus, halting the fire's progression towards Johnson County.
Johnson County Emergency Management said TFS would have one air attack spotter plane over the fire around 10 a.m., followed by two Blackhawk helicopters with Bambi buckets to combat hotspots around 11 a.m.
Highway 933 is being closed down, according to Hill County Emergency Management.
Fire weather is expected to pick up later this afternoon, and the Johnson County EM said seeing smoke again is likely.
The Rio Vista evacuation point is closed with no evacuations ordered at this time, the Johnson County EM said.
25 News will continue to provide updates as they become available.
ORIGINAL STORY
BLUM, Texas — A wildfire has destroyed five homes in Hill County, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities report that the "Blum Fire" is 20 percent contained.
Update: the #BlumFire in Hill Country is an estimated 250 acres and 20% contained. Crews continue to engage in structure protection. Dozer crews are making progress constructing containment line. #txfire pic.twitter.com/zeqXrL58Fi
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) July 27, 2023
The fire began early Wednesday afternoon, with Hill County fire departments and firefighters from Bosque County being dispatched. Air units from the Texas A&M Forest Service were also sent in.
"We were going about 30 miles per hour, and it was moving faster than us," said Destinee Pendley, an eyewitness to the fire earlier Wednesday afternoon.
She provided 25 News with cell phone video showing high winds and flames shooting into the air.
According to Hill County Emergency Management, the town lifted a voluntary evacuation late Wednesday. The Rio Vista Community Center had been designated a shelter.
This is a developing story and 25 News will continue to post updates as they become available.
