A declaration disaster was issued in 11 Texas counties as a massive wildfire that has burned down at least 50 homes and left a sheriff’s deputy dead continues to spread.
Firefighters are tackling the Eastland Complex Fire, which has burned through 45,000 acres and was only around 15 percent contained as of Saturday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service fire.
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The fire started on Thursday and has quickly spread because of the dry conditions and wind gusts of more than 40 mph in large parts of the state.
On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster in the counties hardest hit by wildfires after confirming that dozens of homes had been destroyed by the flames.
About 18,000 people live in Eastland County. In the town of Gorman, about 475 homes were evacuated, but officials don’t yet know how many structures may have burned, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Matthew Ford said.
The Texas A&M Forest Services warned that fires could also affect parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, and Nebraska warned of an extreme fire risk.
On Thursday, Eastland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Deputy Barbara Fenley died helping resident escape the blaze.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Fenley was going door to door, getting residents to evacuate their homes and the last time she communicated she indicated she was going to check on an elderly person in Carbon, Texas.
‘With the extreme deteriorating conditions and low visibility from smoke, Sgt. Fenley ran off the roadway and was engulfed in the fire,’ the sheriff’s statement said.
The 51-year-old leaves behind a husband and three sons.
‘She didn’t care who you were or what you did. She was always going to be there; Doesn’t matter if you were 5 years old or 85 years old, she was going to take care of you,’ her son Jon told NBC 5.
The Cisco Police Department posted a tribute to their ‘sister’ and said she will be deeply missed.
‘She was a special servant and an attribute to our profession. We will kneel in prayer for her family, friends and colleagues as they mourn. RIP dear friend, you will be missed.’
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush commended the 51-year-old’s bravery.
‘Deputy Fenley was killed while trying to save citizens from the fires burning across West Texas last night. Her service to our state will not be forgotten,’ Bush posted on Twitter.
On Friday, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth warned that much of Western and Central Texas faces an elevated fire risk due to dry, windy conditions and urged residents to check for local burn bans and use caution with anything that could start a grass fire.
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The flames from the Eastland Complex Fire seen on Thursday night. Since it has started the wildfire has burned through 45,000 acres
The flames from the Eastland Complex Fire seen on Thursday night. Since it has started the wildfire has burned through 45,000 acres
‘We had a fairly dry summer last year and that continued into the fall and winter,’ said National Weather Service meteorologist Madison Gordon. With winter passing, ‘we now have a lot of fuel available in fields.’
The fires caused hazy conditions hundreds of miles away, with the Houston Fire Department and the city´s Office of Emergency Management on Friday morning sending out automated phone messages alerting area residents to smoke and ash.
Videos of the blaze posted to social media show the blaze form into what appears to be a ‘fire tornado’ while another clip showed the full extent of the massive blaze from above as seen from an airplane at night.
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A Baptist church in downtown Ranger, Texas, about 85 miles west of Fort Worth, was destroyed Thursday when flames engulfed the 103-year-old building. The police department and other historic buildings were also burned, Dallas TV station WFAA reported.
Roy Rodgers, a deacon at Second Baptist Church, said the third floor and roof collapsed and the rest of the building had extensive smoke and water damage. Rodgers said the church plans to hold its next Sunday service in a parking lot across the street, where the congregation will decide what to do.
‘It’s heartbreaking,’ Rodgers said. ‘A lot of people are taking it pretty hard because a lot of people have ties to the church.’ [dAILY mAIL]
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