Less than a year after a wildfire burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park’s 6,613 acres in Central Texas, the park is showing signs of rebirth. Camping areas and hiking trails have recently reopened, and grass and trees are growing from the once-charred soil.

The devastating September fire hit the park as it was suffering through the most severe drought in recorded Texas history.

“It blew everybody away,” said Roger Dolle, the park’s site manager. “Nobody could believe how this fire reacted and how fast it burned and how hot it burned. After years and years of drought and prime fuels, it was the perfect storm.”