Fire at Briggs rocket site prompts evacuation
Special to The Highlander/Firefly Aerospace
Firefly Aerospace, which has a facility in Burnet County, posted this company photo in 2018 of a “first-stage engine hot fire” which is part of some of the company's routine testing projects.
From staff reports
A test rocket engine fire at the Firefly Aeronautics facility in Briggs resulted in temporary evacuations and closure Jan. 22 of a stretch of a state highway and several Burnet County roads, officials reported.
Initially, Burnet County Sheriff's Office reported just before 6:30 a.m. a “possible explosion” had occurred at the facility. The report led to an evacuation of residents and businesses within one mile radius of the site and shutdown of U.S. 183. Roads were re-opened about three hours later. …
Find the rest of this story on Page 2 in the Friday, Jan. 24 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com. To subscribe to the newspaper, call 830-693-4367 or click here to subscribe to our e-Edition online.
