Wildfire severely damages historic Big Bend complex

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas (AP) — A wildfire that ignited in Mexico jumped the Rio Grande into Big Bend National Park and severely damaged a historic border ghost town and former Army border post.

Posts on the park’s Facebook page say shifting wind gusts Wednesday night blew embers onto the barracks, officers’ quarters, visitors’ center and restrooms at the Castolon Historic District. Firefighting crews from the park, Texas A&M Forest Service and nearby Terlingua Fire and EMS were able to save the officers’ quarters with minimal scorching, but the La Harmonia frontier trading post and Castolon Visitor Center were damaged severely.

The park officials’ statements said shade temperatures were near 109 degrees with single-digit relative humidity when the fire entered the park about 6 p.m. Wednesday.