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The primary emergency notification system for a 10-county area in Central Texas was down for maintenance this weekend when a wildfire scorched about 1,200 acres east of Bastrop, said Ed Schaefer, director of homeland security with the Capital Area Council of Governments.

And although there was a backup system in place, Bastrop County law enforcement and emergency officials went door-to-door — sometimes on gravel roads — evacuating residents, said Gayle Wilhelm, a spokeswoman for the county. She did not have an exact number of how many people were evacuated, but she said it was probably more than 100 families.

“The main priority was the safety of residents and firefighters, and that was proven because we didn’t have any loss of life,” Wilhelm said.

Wilhelm said the county has a contract with the Capital Area Council of Governments to operate the notification system, which calls phone numbers to inform people of emergency situations.

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