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A wildfire blazing in Big Bend National Park in West Texas had grown to an estimated 600 acres Saturday morning.
The fire started about 1:30 p.m. Thursday on the park’s South Rim in the Chisos Mountains, park officials said. Wind pushed the flames to the cliff edge in a remote location accessible only by a three- to four-hour hike up “steep trails.”
More than 30 firefighters, including members of the Diablos from across the border in Mexico, had tried on Friday to extinguish the 15- to 20-acre blaze in warm temperatures with high winds and red-flag fire conditions, park officials said. A helicopter was being flown in to help.
The cause of the fire was unknown.
Wind forced the fire to the eastern side of the South Rim, where flames began spreading north into the upper reaches of Boot Canyon. Firefighters protected the structures there, officials said, and a small crew monitored the area overnight.
Officials closed backcountry trails and backpacking sites in the Chisos Mountains until further notice.
“While this is a growing incident, fire in the high Chisos is not unexpected nor a tragedy,” park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker said.
Park officials said Saturday’s weather held promise for firefighters, with cooler temperatures and slower wind speeds helping to slow the blaze.
“Our foremost objective is to protect human safety, and as part of that, we’re working to keep the fire out of the Basin,” Krumenaker said. “I’m optimistic, and we ask that park visitors understand that they will likely be inconvenienced.”