Fredericksburg officials report 9 homes destroyed, 9,858 acres burned in Crabapple-area fire; containment at 85%

Fredericksburg — The Crabapple-area wildfire that began March 15 has damaged about 9,858 acres and destroyed nine residences, Fire Marshal Reagan Rapke told the Fredericksburg City Council on March 18.

The fire was 85% contained as of the council meeting, Rapke said, and the state damage assessment team had completed an initial accounting of losses. Rapke said crews had also recorded 20 destroyed outbuildings and four damaged outbuildings. One Fredericksburg firefighter suffered a limb injury from a falling tree and was treated and released.

The nut graf: The blaze prompted a large regional response and sustained operations, city officials said. Local, regional and state resources — including aerial assets from Texas A&M Forest Service and personnel from neighboring departments — remain assigned; unified command is leading firefighting and investigation efforts.

Rapke said the incident spanned roughly seven miles from the fire’s head to its heel on the ground and that the blaze moved so quickly in places that flames reached estimated heights of 50 feet in the first hours. “The damage is real,” Rapke said at council. “The threats out there are really real.”

Council members and staff praised the firefighting response and community support. City Manager and staff said support from volunteer groups and neighboring departments had been substantial, and they urged residents to direct monetary donations to established volunteer fire department fundraisers or to the official relief fund listed by authorities.

Investigators have not announced a cause. Rapke said the investigation is a unified effort with local, county and state partners. He also asked residents and visitors not to deliver more food or drink to the command post — the incident had received abundant donations — and instead to support formal local fundraising channels or donate materials such as fence wire for ranch recovery.

Rapke closed by briefing the council on operations cadence: the incident runs on formal 7 a.m./7 p.m. briefings with multiple shift rotations and continues to require 24‑hour staffing until containment and mop‑up allow demobilization. “If we can keep it inside what we call the fire line for the next few days, we’ll be OK,” Rapke told council.

A postscript: City officials said the region’s mutual‑aid network and coordination under unified command limited the scope of structure losses relative to the fire’s acreage, but warned recovery and assessments will continue for weeks.

Ending: The city’s fire marshal and staff said they will provide regular public updates through the city’s website and social channels as the investigation and recovery proceed.