Palo Duro Canyon TX evacuation

rginn · May 25, 2011

We tried to camp there for a night on the way back from Oklahoma. A wildfire started up west of the canyon, driven by 35 and 40mph winds, and west Texas is drier than a popcorn fart right now. We were not allowed to take anything, as it was be incinerated or go to jail. This a.m. after a night in a hotel, I went back for my stuff and the state folks escorted me down and I was back out in 10 minutes. And got my fees back. It was an impressive fire, about 7 miles long, and more police and fire personnel than I've ever seen in an area. The state park employees were great. To the feds there yesterday, I was never in danger and never threatened, and the fire still wasn't down even close to my campsite this a.m.

TheRandyMan · May 25, 2011

I have often wanted to get out to the Palo Duro Canyon for some camping. I hope they do get rain out there... :help:

rginn · May 25, 2011

It's a great place, RandyMan. Since I grew up on the plains, I feel at home on the llano estacado. I've been stoppin by the canyon for about 30 years now. Never a dull moment. Plus, I rode the Sad Monkey railroad before.

Brian C. · May 26, 2011

RGINN said:
We tried to camp there for a night on the way back from Oklahoma. A wildfire started up west of the canyon, driven by 35 and 40mph winds, and west Texas is drier than a popcorn fart right now. We were not allowed to take anything, as it was be incinerated or go to jail. This a.m. after a night in a hotel, I went back for my stuff and the state folks escorted me down and I was back out in 10 minutes. And got my fees back. It was an impressive fire, about 7 miles long, and more police and fire personnel than I've ever seen in an area. The state park employees were great. To the feds there yesterday, I was never in danger and never threatened, and the fire still wasn't down even close to my campsite this a.m.

You can have some of our rain, it has been raining for many days on and off.

fossis · May 27, 2011

That looks like a 'bad one', wish they could get some of the rain from other places, we finally broke our drought, now we are almost in flood stage in places.

Fossis...........

rginn · May 27, 2011

Last I heard, about 16,000 acres burned in this one. No lives lost and maybe only one structure. And it still never got down into the park. So I was never in real danger and had plenty of time to get my camp out of there. State Rangers were workin with folks on that, but then the feds came in and took over and it was 'you don't touch nothin, get out'. And don't even cross the park boundary at the entrance. I had two confrontations with them just tryin to get some info. I don't know how many of them it would take to put me in jail, but I could see how many they intended to use, so I backed out of it. Next day, the feds were gone and the state folks were there. Great folks, and they should keep those damn yankee forestry and blm imports out of Texas STATE Parks. They overreact and can't deal with people.