First came the men with the pickup trucks and the fliers, soliciting homeowners who were sifting through the rubble. On their heels came the scrappers, hunting for salvage metal. Then came the demolition crews, the tree crews, the dump trucks piled with concrete and brick, filling the blackened forest with the sounds of diesel engines and chain saws. 

The spooky, post-wildfire quiet of the Lost Pines has been replaced with the buzz of a nascent recovery, as drifts of rubble and charred vehicles are scraped off lots to make way for new homes, or perhaps “for sale” signs. Businesses are flocking to Bastrop County to get a piece of the action, creating expectations for a boost during a sluggish economy — and some tension between homegrown businesses and the out-of-towners who are plopping temporary trailer-offices onto parking lots all over the community.