ATASCOSA COUNTY — Multiple fire crews and the Texas A&M Forest Service are working to extinguish a 350-acre grass fire in Atascosa County. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire is 60% contained.

The Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Office of Emergency Management designated the incident as the "River Bluff Fire." The blaze is located between Lytle and Rossville, southwest of San Antonio. Fire crews from across South Texas, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, are battling the fire. The agency is conducting a planned burnout operation with fire crews from Blackhill, Lytle, Rossville, Pleasanton, Poteet, Jourdanton, Leming, and the Ata-Bexar County Line Volunteer Fire Department. Additional assistance came from units in Bexar County.

Officials are advising residents to avoid the area. There are no evacuation orders in effect for the area. No road closures are in effect due to the fire. No structures are involved in the fire or at risk.

Cheyenne Vyvlecka, Chief of Staff for Atascosa County Judge, addressed the potential cause of the ignition. "We don’t have it confirmed, but they think it started from a lightning strike on Friday when that storm came through," Vyvlecka said. Authorities believe the fire started during severe storms on Friday night, possibly from a lightning strike.

Why It Matters

The response involves coordination among multiple municipal departments and state-level forestry resources in South Texas. The designation of the incident by county emergency management allows for a unified command structure involving the Texas A&M Forest Service and local volunteer departments. The lack of evacuation orders and road closures indicates that the immediate threat to infrastructure and residential zones remains managed despite the ongoing containment efforts.

Timeline

On August 28, 2026, authorities believed the fire started during severe storms on Friday night, possibly from a lightning strike. On September 1, 2026, Cheyenne Vyvlecka stated, "We don’t have it confirmed, but they think it started from a lightning strike on Friday when that storm came through." Also on September 1, 2026, multiple fire crews and the Texas A&M Forest Service were working to extinguish a grass fire in Atascosa County. The Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Office of Emergency Management designated the incident as the "River Bluff Fire" on September 1, 2026.

As of Tuesday afternoon on September 1, 2026, the fire was 60% contained. Fire crews from Lytle, Rossville, Pleasanton, Poteet, Jourdanton, Leming, Blackhill, and Bexar County were assisting with the response on September 1, 2026. The fire is located between Lytle and Rossville, southwest of San Antonio, as noted on September 1, 2026. No road closures were in effect due to the fire on September 1, 2026.

What's New

Later reporting from expressnews.com indicated that fire crews from across South Texas, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, are battling the River Bluff Fire. The report added that the Texas A&M Forest Service is conducting a planned burnout operation with fire crews from Blackhill, Lytle, Rossville, Pleasanton, Poteet, Jourdanton, Leming, and the Ata-Bexar County Line Volunteer Fire Department. Reference material notes that Rossville is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States, distinct from the Texas location involved in the fire response.