The Crabapple Fire, ignited on March 15, 2025, in Gillespie County, Texas, quickly became one of the most destructive wildfires in recent memory, fueled by strong winds, low humidity, and dry grasses.

A Gillespie County deputy shot and killed a motorcyclist after a pursuit that ended Wednesday evening, according to the sheriff’s office.

A former Harper Independent School District employee is accused of recording a 15-year-old girl changing inside his home, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT.

A former Harper Independent School District staff member was arrested after allegedly recording a 15-year-old girl off campus, according to a district Facebook post.

Here’s a list of places that have food available now, other than the San Antonio Food Bank.

Two Harper High School students were arrested in connection with an investigation into a “viable threat” against the school, according to the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office.

A now-former Gillespie County deputy was arrested and held without bond in connection with the deletion of hundreds of messages on a department-issued phone, as well as multiple sexual encounters with a woman while on the job, according to an arrest affidavit.

Dramatic 911 calls from the Fourth of July flooding in the Texas Hill Country have been released. These calls reveal the desperation of those caught up in the disaster.

Storms moving through parts of San Antonio and the Hill Country on Monday resulted in large hail and gusty winds in some areas.

Crews are working to contain a fire in Gillespie County.

The proposal would require counties who opt for hand counts to use ballots that can be scanned and tabulated by a voting machine.

Duderstadt Road in Gillespie County has reopened only to residents after a fire off Interstate 10 led to evacuations on Monday, according to Gillespie County Sheriff Chris Ayala.

In the off season, the Gillespie County Fairgrounds usually sits empty — but this week, it’s overflowing with hay and feed.

The Crabapple Fire has scorched nearly 10,000 acres north of Fredericksburg, nine homes and numerous buildings destroyed and residents without hay and feed for their livestock. Here’s how to help.

To put the Crabapple Fire burn scar in perspective, when overlaid over San Antonio, it’s the equivalent of a burned area from roughly St. Mary’s University, through downtown, then over to the Frost Bank Center.

Some residents in Gillespie County are urged to evacuate as a fire spreads off Interstate 10, according to the Gillespie County Communications Center 911 Emergency Dispatch.

Recent local wildfires have sent air quality on a roller coaster ride, leaving residents searching for ways to protect themselves from the fluctuating conditions.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the Texas A&M Forest Service’s database said fire containment has climbed up to 65%, but there are still several people left with burned property and possessions.

The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo is offering emergency shelter for horses and cattle affected by the Crabapple Fire.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the Crabapple Fire in Gillespie County has burned 9,858 acres and is 95% contained, according to the City of Fredericksburg.

A massive wildfire north of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County continues to rage across thousands of acres without containment.

After nearly 150 hours, the Crabapple Fire is 100 percent contained after burning an estimated 9,858 acres, according to a press release from the City of Fredericksburg.

A Washington man is behind bars after they found explosive devices, ammunition and body armor inside a rented U-Haul truck, the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office said.

Kerrville police have released the name of the officer and suspect involved in a shooting after a multi-city pursuit.

Parts of the Texas Hill Country remain in a drought, leaving many residents searching for more rain. If you travel a little farther north, however, you’ll find that the drought ends just before reaching the Fredericksburg area.

The Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a woman shot and killed her alleged kidnapper near a winery.

With little in local tax revenue to help pay staff, rural Texas sheriffs are often forced to do more with less. Lawmakers hope a new grant program will help rebuild the ranks of rural law enforcement.

Two horses are on the road to recovery thanks to Gillespie County Sheriff’s deputies who saved them from “appalling conditions” after 10 years of neglect.

Farmers in Gillespie County are dealing with a slow rain start to the year and seeing less than half the average rainfall they usually get.

The deadly Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 has moved eastward in Texas and was detected for the first time in the Hill Country.

Some 50 Texas sheriffs and numerous elected officials have attended trainings on the unsupported notion that sheriffs can single-handedly overrule state and federal law. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which offered state peace officers credit for the seminars, is now investigating.

Hundreds of residents in Bandera and Gillespie counties are experiencing power outages on Friday morning amid freezing temperatures.

The highly infectious Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), also known as zombie deer disease, has been discovered in the Texas Hill Country.

The entire elections staff in a rural Texas county has quit less than three months before November's midterm elections.

“We’re under attack,” said Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen.

The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Pedernales Falls State Park are closed on Wednesday due to two wildfires in the Hill Country.

Several fire departments are trying to get two grass fires under control in the Hill Country.

Find the latest, updated election results for the 2022 primary election in Texas on March 1, 2022.

The Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show earlier in January really showed how a community can band together and raise money, this time in support of Anders and the Eckert family.

A man was arrested and booked on three charges, including murder, after shooting and killing a 33-year-old man and wounding a 10-year-old girl, according to the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office.

AdThe original rain and ice storm that began on Thursday, Feb. 11, knocked out power to 10,000 to 12,000 meters, Loth estimated. At its peak, Loth said, about 35,000 of 43,000 CTEC meters had no power. By Sunday, Feb. 21, Loth said CTEC was in its “rebuild” stage, meaning it couldn’t restore power without rebuilding something. AdThe downed power lines and poles are in hard-to-reach places, too, with bulldozers sometimes required to pull the trucks where they’re needed. Every mile of CTEC’s rural power lines serves just a handful of power meters.

A Boil Water Notice means residents should boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). 1, located in Bandera, PWS#0100011Bexar CountySAWS has rescinded its boil water notice for all of San Antonio. **NO LONGER IN EFFECT** Monarch Utilities has issued a “Boil Water Notice” for customers in the Coolcrest water system , Public Water System ID No. Gillespie County**NO LONGER IN EFFECT** Monarch Utilities has issued a “Boil Water Notice” for customers in the Oakview water system, Public Water System ID No. **NO LONGER IN EFFECT** Monarch Utilities has issued a “Boil Water Notice” for customers in the Rocky Creek Subdivision water system, Public Water System ID No.

La Salle County Sheriff’s officials have released limited details about the arrest but stated Wolfe used his hands, feet and teeth as weapons during the incident. Wolfe had been on bond since June, after his arrest in Jim Wells County on a felony family strangulation charge. In that case, sheriff’s department investigators arrested Wolfe days after they were called to a home in Orange Grove for a disturbance. A sergeant with the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office told the Defenders in 2019 that he was, at one point, working seven criminal cases against Wolfe. The state attorney general’s office eventually took over the case because it had the resources to properly handle it, Gillespie County officials said.

The race for U.S. Congressional District 21 has been one to watch since the primaries when election officials announced Wendy Davis won the Democratic nomination and would challenge Republican incumbent Chip Roy on Election Day. Davis is a former state senator for State District 10 who led a 13-hour filibuster to block a bill restricting abortion rights in Texas. The AreaU.S. District 21 covers a vast area north of San Antonio and many communities along the I-35 North and I-10 West corridors, including parts of Bexar, Hays Travis, and Comal counties. Texas Congressional District 21 (ESRI/Chip Roy, U.S. House)Campaign FundsAs of June 30, Davis has raised more than $4.4. Voters will decide who they want as their next congressional district representative in less than one month.

FLORESVILLE – Gillespie County and Wilson County were named as sites to be visited by the Texas National Guard for setting up mobile COVID-19 testing. So far in Wilson County, Floresville’s Frank M. Tejeda Texas State Veterans Home has seen several cases of the virus. At least 10 residents, 5 staff have COVID-19 at Floresville veteran’s home; 159 tests still pendingFloresville Mayor Cissy Gonzalez-Dippel said about 30 other Wilson County residents have been tested for the coronavirus so far. According to the governor’s office, the Texas National Guard mobile testing team has the capacity to test 150 people per day. Texas National Guard to deploy mobile testing sites across state, starting in Floresville, Fredericksburg

GILLESPIE COUNTY, Texas – Two laboratory errors have resulted in Gillespie County having only one case of the coronavirus instead of three. According to a city of Fredericksburg press release, information reported by Gillespie County on the original two COVID-19 cases came directly from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which was notified by two independent labs that lab errors resulted in two false-positive reports of the virus. The news release said the state health agency has never encountered a situation like this. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

SAN ANTONIO – 4/6/20 Update:Two laboratory errors have resulted in Gillespie County having only one case of the coronavirus instead of three. The news release said the state health agency has never encountered a situation like this. 4/5/20 Update:A third case of COVID-19 is confirmed in Gillespie County, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Working together we can minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gillespie County Judge Mark Stroeher. Gillespie County is located about 75 miles northwest of San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO – Gillespie County has confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus, Fredericksburg officials said Wednesday. The county resident contracted the virus while traveling within Texas, according to a news release. The Texas Department of State Health Services is investigating possible exposure to anyone who had contact with the person. Gillespie County is located about 75 miles northwest of San Antonio. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

GILLESPIE COUNTY, Texas – The son of a woman who was found dead in her home has been charged, according to the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office. Officials said Kimberly Smoot, 57, was found dead Dec. 13 in her Stonewall, Texas, home. Deputies and investigators served an arrest warrant Thursday afternoon on Justin Smoot, 33, of San Antonio, officials said. Justin Smoot is being held in the Gillespie County Jail on $1,000,000 bail, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

GILLESPIE COUNTY, Texas – Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office investigators and a Texas Ranger with the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Cold Case Program have made an arrest in a cold case involving a murder dating back to February 2000. The Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office said 47-year-old Hyon Jordan Hing was arrested in Floresville on Tuesday afternoon. A grand jury issued an indictment against him for the murder of 26-year-old Juhuai Yan, who was from San Antonio. Hong is being held in the Gillespie County Jail with a $300,000 bond. The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest, according to the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office.