Ties with Bastrop Fires

By now most, if not everyone, is aware of the fires burning in Bastrop.  I have one cousin and at least one good friend who lost their homes.  One of my friends was living in an RV just outside of Bastrop in Smithville.  He has stated the trailer "burned to the axles" and everything was lost. 

My heart aches for these people.  The park where my friend lived, Toad Hollow RV Park, was small, less than 20 spaces I think.  Because the park was small and many of the residents lived there month to month so the community was a tight knit community.  I had gotten to know several of the residents and the manager of this park.  The RV park is close to so many of the things I enjoy such as Bastrop State Park, Buescher State Park and Southshore LCRA Park.  Since it is so close to so many things I enjoy I had considered moving to this RV Park.  I was not going to move until I had found a full time job. 

This is at Bastrop Southshore LCRA Park

Bastrop State Park, as of Tuesday all but 100 of their 6,000 acres had burned.  I have not heard anything of the other two parks, but can only guess they have been affected in such a way too.  The other two parks are currently closed, but that's all I know at this point. 

This community is in the Lost Pines of Texas and is heavily populated with pine trees, which seem out of place in this part of the state.  Since I do not have TV my coverage has come from the Internet and the radio.  I have seen footage of these tall old pine trees burning as if they were toothpicks and it breaks my heart.  Bastrop State Park had several structures built by the CCC after WWI.  The CCC was established to help provide jobs so the men could financially assist their families after the war and during the Depression.  Some footage indicates this piece of history may have been lost in the fires. 

Footage from Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife regarding the fires in Bastrop State Park
http://youtu.be/9kFw2mQcZaQ

Since I too live in an RV I do not have space to offer my friends a place to stay.  The only thing I have been able to do to help with the fires is to coordinate efforts to bring a friend and some of his friends who are all firefighters in Kansas to Austin, outside of Bastrop, to help with the fires.  I have friends who have said they have space they can share so these firefighters have a place to stay. 

I currently work Southwest of the fires at an outdoor restaurant.  Yesterday everyone got quiet and somber as two black hawk helicopters flew over.  We all commented on how they were on their way to assist with the fires in Bastrop.  One co-worker pointed out and commented on the Red Cross symbol on the side of the copter.  I cannot begin to imagine the amount of planning and coordinating that goes in to coordinating efforts for an event of this nature.  Fire is rather unpredictable.