The sprawling wildfires in Texas knocked out power to the McDonald Observatory, stalling astronomical observations as firefighters battle the intense blaze.
"We're without power at this point," said Anita Cochran, the associate director of the West Texas observatory, late Monday (April 11). "They're hoping to have power back by the end of the day."
Wildfire weather conditions over the weekend were among the worst in the state's history. Dry grass and dry air, along with hot temperatures and howling winds, are fueling the sprawling wildfires that have scorched tens of thousands of acres across the state, according to the Texas Forest Service.
"It's getting a lot closer again, so we're a little more concerned again," Cochran said.
The observatory's dome is shut and backup generators are powering the astronomy center and the Hobby-Eberly telescope, the 4th largest in the world. The observatory does not have enough power to open the roof, but it would not conduct observations anyway, because smoke corrodes the mirror surface, Cochran said.
The observatory was shut down to astronomers, but was briefly home to Fort Davis residents that were forced to flee their homes as the fires raged toward them on Saturday. The number of evacuees wasn't counted — perhaps 30 in rooms and a handful of RVs in the parking lot, Cochran said.
"We just put them up and fed them and did whatever we could," Cochran said.
"We're worried and we're watching the fire carefully," Cochran said. "If we have to evacuate we will and if we have to open our doors again we will."
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