‘I still have the memories.’ Chalk Mountain fire burns family ranch near Glen Rose
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Texas wildfires
Record heat and drought conditions are the perfect storm for wildfires like Possum Kingdom and Chalk Mountain that have burned 575,000 acres across the state.
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‘I still have the memories.’ Chalk Mountain fire burns family ranch near Glen Rose
‘Pretty wild and worrisome:’ Locals react to fire at North Texas’ Possum Kingdom Lake
Shannon Parker hadn’t lived on the Circle P ranch for 20 years, but when a friend called Monday afternoon to warn her that it was on fire, she knew she had to see the damage, devastating as it was.
“My friend said, I’m not sure, but I think your ranch is on fire. Flames are reaching up over the tops of the trees.”
Parker, 71, who now lives in Granbury, said the 1,600-acre ranch near Glen Rose was the perfect place to raise her two children and where she spent every weekend as a child riding horses, swimming in the river and playing dominoes.
Parker said her parents purchased the Circle P ranch when she was 11.
“Yesterday [Tuesday] morning, I thought, ‘I’m just going to check it out.’ It looked like being on the moon or something. It was surreal,” Parker said.
Parker said the ranch is 1,600 acres, and she estimated that 800 to 1,000 acres were burned.
There are two homes on the property, and both are gone
All that was left of the main house were three fireplaces and the concrete steps. Another home on the property where Parker lived until 1994 was also destroyed.
However, the fire didn’t reach a 100-year-old corncrib, which was built on some rocks, she said.
As she drove through the devastation, Parker saw a welcome sign of life.
When her parents bought the land, there was a hill that they called Lone Oak Hill, which had one oak tree. It was still standing after the fire.
Although her family lost homes with treasured memories, the land will eventually come back, better than ever, Parker said.
But she worries about people who lost everything and who don’t have insurance too rebuild.
The fire came so quickly that people didn’t have time to gather their possessions, she said.
Parker also described how ashes from the wildfire covered her car and patio in Granbury, and that some neighbors also saw the ashes.
Parker said she is grateful for the many phone calls and messages from friends who remembered visiting the ranch.
“It was just a shock. I think about the kids and all of the good times out there,” she said. “I didn’t lose anything. I still have the memories. We still have the land, which will probably come back prettier than it has ever been.”
Fires continue burning Thursday
Texas firefighters continued containment efforts on at least 10 active wildfires on Thursday, the largest being the Chalk Mountain Fire in Somervell County, which at times covered over 6,500 acres.
No injuries have been reported, but over two dozen homes and other structures have been destroyed in fires in Somervell and Palo Pinto counties.
The Chalk Mountain Fire was estimated to be 6,339 acres with 10% containment as of Thursday morning.
The Palo Pinto County fire, also known as 1148 Fire, was 500 acres with 45% containment as of Thursday morning.
On Wednesday night, crews found a lot of heat next to containment lines, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported, but they continued to make progress Thursday.
The Palo Pinto County fire impacted Possum Kingdom Lake, about 80 miles west of Fort Worth, prompting evacuations and burning homes on the lake shore. Authorities said five homes and five other structures were destroyed.
Texas A&M Forest Service reported the Sandlin Fire in Parker County, west of Fort Worth, was 172 acres and 95% contained Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters responded to the Parker County wildfire on Wednesday. Officials said dozers built a containment line around the entirety of the fire and it was patrolled and monitored overnight.
The River Bottom 2 Fire in Hood County also started Wednesday and was at 150 acres and 40% contained as of Thursday morning.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 5:34 PM.