The Episcopal Church’s internationally known Camp Allen, a major conference and retreat centre facility, was vacated due to the fires which have been raging in various parts of this vast state.
Before voluntarily evacuating on Sept. 8, Camp Allen staff moved resident horses, snakes, and birds to safety, installed sprinklers on roofs and closed up buildings in hopes that the beloved Episcopal Diocese of Texas campground would be spared damage from a devastating wildfire burning a few miles away.
“The smoke is rolling in. All the guests have left. We’ve moved all the animals off the property for their safety. The staff is outside now, watering down the buildings and closing up, preparing to shut down the camp until Monday,” according to Kathy, an employee who asked that her last name be withheld.
“I’m kind of nervous,” added the employee, who estimated the fire to be about three to five miles away from the 36-year-old campground, retreat and conference center in Navasota. “I’d hate for something to happen to Camp Allen, it’s such a wonderful place.
“The phones have been ringing all morning with people who’ve come here and love our facility. They tell us they’re praying for us and hoping for the best,” she added.
Although the camp “does not appear to be in jeopardy unless the winds should shift from the northeast direction … many of the staffers who live in the surrounding areas have been evacuated and the fate of their homes is not known,” according to a statement posted on the diocesan website.
Prayers, as well as offers of financial assistance and other aid poured into diocesan offices in Houston, even as large wildfires continued in various locations throughout the state and the death toll rose from two to four.
“We are grateful for the response we’ve had to the wildfires, even as we continue to pray for the hundreds of firefighters who labor under extreme conditions trying to contain the damage,” said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle in a Sept. 8 statement.
“We have had a number of parishioners lose their homes and we know the devastation around Bastrop, in northern Austin and in East Texas will require our continued support and relief efforts,” he added. “We have teams ready to offer pastoral care once the immediate situation is contained.”
He cited local congregations like St. Luke’s on the Lake in Austin, where parishioners quickly mobilized to respond to the needs of those displaced, offering shelter, meals and other assistance, particularly to those affected by the Steiner Ranch fire.
One of three dozen fires in the state, it charred 162 acres, destroyed 24 homes, and damaged 30 others.
Diocese of Texas
http://www.epicenter.org/