Hamilton County, Texas Sheriff's Office

09/03/2026

National Night Out will be on Tuesday, October 6th. If you would like to donate or open a booth, please reach out to Hannah Powers by email at [email protected] or by phone at 254-386-8120.

09/01/2026

⚠️ PUBLIC NOTICE — PHONE & 911 SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTORED ⚠️

09/01/2026

⚠️ PUBLIC NOTICE — PHONE & 911 SERVICE OUTAGE ⚠️

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is currently experiencing an outage affecting our phone lines and 911 services.

We have been in contact with AT&T and have been advised that a fiber line has been cut in the Hico area, impacting five cellular towers within Hamilton County.

We are still able to receive 911 information. During this outage, Mills County is receiving the 911 information and relaying it back to Hamilton County Dispatch so that we can continue responding to emergency calls for service.

We are actively working with AT&T to address the outage and are currently coordinating efforts to have a mobile cellular tower deployed to help restore service as quickly as possible.

We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available or services are restored.

Please share this information to help notify residents throughout Hamilton County.

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

Send a message to learn more

09/01/2026

⚠️ SERVICE ALERT ⚠️

Hamilton Communications’ administrative phone line is currently unavailable due to a damaged fiber-optic line. At this time, there is no estimated time for service to be restored.

Please remember that 911 remains fully available for emergencies.

We will provide an update on this page once administrative phone service has been restored.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Send a message to learn more

08/26/2026

⚠️ RIO ESCONDIDO RESIDENT REENTRY – IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ⚠️
As residents begin reentering the Rio Escondido area, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office asks everyone to remain alert and help us keep the area safe.
🔥 WATCH FOR OPEN FLAMES
It is normal, following a fire of this size, to continue seeing smoldering areas and faint smoke. However, if you observe any open flames or an active flare-up, immediately call 911. Please remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings.
🚒 EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARE STILL OPERATING IN THE AREA
There continues to be a heavy presence of fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles throughout the Rio Escondido area. If you are traveling on the roadway and see an emergency vehicle approaching, pull over as far off the roadway as safely possible and allow the vehicle to pass. When traveling the dirt roads, please drive at a slower pace than you may normally do so as to avoid heavy dust from obscuring views for first responders.
🚫 NO DRONES OR UAVs
Residents and visitors are reminded: DO NOT FLY personally owned drones or UAVs anywhere in or around the fire area.
Unauthorized drones can interfere with firefighting aircraft and may force critical air operations to be delayed or suspended. Air assets may need to deploy quickly to respond to flare-ups, and keeping the airspace clear is essential for the safety of both residents and emergency personnel.
Please continue to use caution while returning to the area and remain aware that firefighting and emergency operations are still ongoing.
We appreciate everyone's patience, cooperation, and continued support as our first responders work to keep Rio Escondido and the surrounding community safe.

- Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

08/26/2026

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of the first responders who have been working tirelessly since Monday to battle the fire at Rio Escondido.

Firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, emergency management, dispatchers, volunteers, and countless others have worked around the clock under difficult conditions to protect lives, property, and our community.

We are incredibly grateful for the cooperation and teamwork shown by every agency and individual who has answered the call. The long hours, hard work, and sacrifices being made by these men and women do not go unnoticed.

We also recognize the families of our first responders who have supported them while they have spent countless hours away from home serving our community.

On behalf of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, thank you to every first responder, agency, volunteer, and community member who has stepped up during this incident. Your dedication and commitment to Hamilton County are deeply appreciated.

Please continue to keep our first responders and everyone affected by the Rio Escondido fire in your thoughts as crews continue their work.

08/25/2026

Residents are able to return to Rio Escondido. We recommend only returning for necessary items and to still avoid the area if possible.

08/25/2026

The fire on HWY 36 and CR 402 has been contained. Please continue avoiding the area for now as crews finish up.

08/25/2026

🚨🚨URGENT🚨🚨

There is a grass fire at HWY 36 and CR 402. First responders are working to put the fire out. Please avoid this area to let our first responders work.

08/25/2026

Thank you so much to everyone who donated water and Gatorade!

We have received more than enough, so please hold off on any additional donations of these items. We are truly grateful for your generosity and support!

No more donations needed at this time.