Rush Fire further contained, likely cause ID’d

Officials have identified the likely cause of the Rush Fire at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and while it still burns, anticipated weekend rains offer hope that will end.

A preliminary investigation into the cause of the Rush Fire has documented activities that likely led to the ignition, according to Beth Ullenberg with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We know that the fire began around 3p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, just east of Rush Lake on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge,” she said. “At that time, a masticator — a type of heavy machinery used for managing vegetation by grinding, shredding, or mulching trees and brush — was operating in the area and is suspected of igniting the fire. The masticator was being operated to reduce vegetation and improve firebreaks.”

Once the fire began, resources were quickly dispatched to fight the fire, including resources from the Refuge and from nearby cooperators, Ullenberg said. By early morning Oct. 25, over 30 different local, county, state, Tribal, and federal agencies, along with more than 180 personnel, had arrived to help contain the fire.

“This quick response successfully limited the fire’s spread outside the Refuge,” she said. “Federal agencies, alongside our many partners, have worked diligently to maintain that boundary.”

Ullenberg credits improvements made over the past several months to create firebreaks, funded the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“These improvements were crucial during the early days of the Rush Fire, particularly along the northern and northwestern edges of the fire,” she said. “Without these enhanced firebreaks, the fire would likely have caused much more damage to private property.”

The Rush Fire continued burning Friday, but fire behavior is minimal, Ullenberg said. At the time, 202 firefighters remain on-site at the Refuge to continue suppression efforts. Firefighters are focusing on perimeter containment near structures while monitoring all areas of the fire perimeter for residual heat. As of now, 12,488 acres have burned, and the fire is 76 percent contained.

“Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is a fire-adapted landscape. The ecosystem here, which includes mixed-grass prairie and Post Oak and Blackjack Oak woodlands and shrublands, has evolved with periodic fires that help maintain its ecological health,” she said.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a 100 percent chance of rain Saturday and Sunday that should help further the fire suppression effort.

The Refuge remains closed due to smoke impacts from the Rush Fire and to ensure the safety of firefighters and the public, according to Ullenberg. This closure includes all public use areas, such as Charon’s Garden Wilderness Area, Dog Run Hollow Trail System, Boulder Cabin and Picnic Areas, Lost Lake, Doris Campground, the Environmental Education Center, the Visitor Center, Holy City, the Parallel Forest, and Mount Scott. “We look forward to reopening to our community so that we all can enjoy the wonders of the Wichita Mountains once it is safe to do so,” she said.