‘A lunar landscape’: Wildfires kill 1, destroy 50 homes less than 100 miles from Fort Worth
As multiple wildfires spread within 100 miles west of Fort Worth on Friday, the National Weather Service said low humidity and gusty winds have caused a continued elevated fire risk in the region west of I-35.
The Eastland Complex Fire — which began on Thursday after multiple fires in Eastland County combined, including the Walling Fire — has killed an Eastland County sheriff’s deputy, destroyed more than 50 homes and put livestock at risk.
By Friday afternoon the Eastland Complex Fire had burned about 70.9 square miles and was 10% contained, the Texas A&M Forest Service said.
Two people were evacuated via ambulance overnight from Thursday to Friday but searches of the areas where the fire has been extinguished or contained have turned up no other injuries or deaths, Eastland County Judge Rex Fields said at a news conference Friday evening.
Gov. Greg Abbott said at the conference 13 state agencies are working with local fire departments and law enforcement, including volunteer fire departments, as well as firefighters who have come from around the state to volunteer. The exact number of volunteers who have showed up is not known.
Around 18,000 people live in Eastland County. The town of Carbon and the city of Gordon are among those impacted by the fire. About 475 homes were evacuated in Gorman, but officials don’t yet know exactly how many structures may have burned, said Matthew Ford, spokesman for Texas A&M Forest Service.
Fields said Carbon was the heaviest hit municipality, with land between Carbon and Gorman void of vegetation because of the fire.
“The area between Carbon and Gorman looks like it did when I was a kid and it was just peanut land,” Fields said. “It looks like some lunar landscape.”
Abbot, Fields and Eastland Fire Chief Joe Williamson all emphasized that the ability to get firefighting aircraft into service in the area, prevented until earlier Friday because of wind speeds, has allowed first responders to get a better handle on the situation.
Trenches dug to contain the fire had some positive effect before aircraft were able to be launched to fight the blazes, but Williamson said that without aircraft to slow the spread while first responders dug the trenches that effort could only do so much.
Abbott said fire crews in West Texas aren’t just fighting the fires, they’re fighting the weather as well. Shifting, high speed winds have made the fire’s path unpredictable and put a strain on local fire departments as they have spread resources thin trying to predict where the fire would go and work to stop the spread.
Williamson said state assistance and firefighters who have showed up to volunteer have helped shore up the gaps created by the size of the fire.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said that when state resources arrived local agencies were already doing an impressive job of fighting the fire.
“My heart is right there on the front line with the first responders who are here,” Kidd said. “I can’t think of any place that we’ve come up to that is set up as good as this community and the men and their agencies [in this area].”
Field said that while efforts by first responders and other agencies who have shown up to provide support will get the job done, the dry ground and heavy winds will continue to make their work difficult.
“What we need is a good 6-inch rain followed by another good 6-inch rain,” Field said.
Abbott said the state is ready to provide “more than the resources that will be demanded,” and will continue providing assistance in any way possible until it is no longer needed.
Evacuations and refusing to leave
A nursing home in Rising Star also was evacuated and residents were taken to a community center, Eastland County Today reported. Eastland Fire Chief Joe Williamson said at the news conference that Rising Star is still under threat because of the fire.
Everybody who spoke at the news conference stressed the importance of following evacuation orders, not just for the safety of residents who are ordered to leave but for the safety of first responders.
Field, the Eastland County judge, expressed his frustration with people who have refused to leave their homes after receiving the evacuation orders.
“If you stay there out of hardheadedness or stubbornness, you’re just putting first responders at risk,” Field said. “Our first responders already have risk. They don’t need that. If you are just so stubborn that you wanna stay there, good luck. That’s on you.”
Williamson said his firefighters have already had to put themselves in danger to rescue people who initially said they wouldn’t follow the evacuation order and changed their mind when the fire got close.
“We have seen patterns where people have chose to stay and as fire became a more imminent danger they have changed their mind, and that’s where we’ve put first responders at risk because we are doing our best to come to you,” Williamson said.
Abbott said it is imperative that people evacuate as soon as they’re told to.
“Having dealt with multiple catastrophes of multiple kinds ... the most important thing you have is your life,” Abbott said at the conference. “Property can be rebuilt. A life lost cannot be rebuilt.”
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, WFAA-TV 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,” said Rodgers, a church member since 1969. “A lot of people are taking it pretty hard because a lot of people have ties to the church.”
The fire, which was fueled by high winds, may have started from a barbecue pit, Ranger Fire Department Chief Darrell Fox said.
Deputy Barbara Fenley
Barbara Fenley joined the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office in 2013, the county said in a post to Microplex News. A deputy sergeant, Fenley went on Thursday to check on an elderly person. With smoke making it hard to see, Fenley went off the roadway and “was engulfed in fire,” according to the post.
Fenley, a 51-year-old who had been in law enforcement since she joined the Gorman police in 2003, had a husband and three children. She was chief of police there from 2007 until 2013, when she joined the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office, about 100 miles west-southwest of Fort Worth.
Abbott at the news conference presented a flag to Anna Oliveira, present to represent all of Fenley’s family, that had flown at half staff over the Texas Capitol earlier in the day as a sign of the state’s gratitude.
“We are sorrowful for her loss of life, but we as a state have great appreciation for her service, for stepping up, for doing what Texas law enforcement officials do every day,” Abbott said. “They put their lives on the line to preserve and protect their communities.”
The county said Fenley sacrificed herself for her neighbors.
“Sgt. Fenley gave her life in the service of others and loved her community,” the county said in the Microplex News post.
Cisco police called Fenley “our sister” and a friend who will be missed.
“She was special servant and an attribute to our profession,” the department said in a Facebook post. “We will kneel in prayer for her family, friends and colleagues as they mourn.”
Jon Fenley, her son, thanked the community in a Facebook post for the love and prayers his family has seen since Barbara Fenley died.
“I wanna thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers, and I wanna thank everyone for helping us find mom,” Jon Fenley said. “Unfortunately, with the saddest news my mom has passed away. I just ask that you give us privacy in this moment while we collect our thoughts. I love everyone and I know she loved everyone and she loved the community of Gorman and Eastland County.”
Donations and volunteers
Local governments, religious groups and charities have set up shelters for people who have been displaced by the fires, Abbott said at the Friday news conference. For residents who want to start the process of getting local, state or federal assistance in rebuilding after losses to the fires, the Red Cross has set up a shelter at Siebert Elementary, 100 Little Maverick Trail in Eastland, where volunteers are assisting people with those requests.
In addition to shelters, the Red Cross is also working with local hotels and motels to try to find places for displaced residents to stay. Abbott said none of the shelters are asking any questions about citizenship or immigration status.
The areas impacted by the wildfire are largely agrarian, and a lot of livestock has been displaced by the wildfires, Abbott said.
Unlike natural disasters in more urban areas, a shelter has also had to be set up for livestock. Animals can be delivered to 9009 Interstate 20 in Olden if they have had to be evacuated.
Donations for livestock, like hay and other food, are also being requested at that location.
Volunteers who want to help in any way have been asked to communicate with the county and municipalities impacted.
“We don’t want spontaneous volunteers just showing up and working at a home,” Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at the conference. “We want volunteers working with the community hand in hand.”
Field, the Eastland County judge, also warned anybody who does not live in Carbon from trying to go there for any reason.
How to prevent wildfires
On Friday there was an elevated fire risk west of Fort Worth which includes Stephenville, Jacksboro and Hamilton.
According to the National Weather Service, northwest winds were 15-25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph; humidity in the area was 25%.
Another dry and breezy day is expected on Sunday, leading to another day with an elevated threat for fire starts, according to the service’s hazardous weather outlook. The threat will be highest along and west of I-35.
The National Weather Service posted some tips on preventing wildfires on its website:
- Do not toss lit cigarettes on the ground.
- Avoid dragging tow chains on the ground.
- Do not drive or park over tall grass.
- Never leave a campfire unattended.
- Avoid unnecessary burning.
Tarrant County is currently under a burn ban. For a full map of the burn bans happening in Texas, visit the Texas A&M Forest Service map.
How to prepare for a wildfire situation
If a wildfire is in your area, the Texas Division of Emergency Management shared tips on its social media page to help keep you safe:
Build an emergency go-kit with supplies.
Make an evacuation plan with multiple routes.
Follow guidance from local officials and monitor news.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Twitter on Friday afternoon that Texas has elevated its response and increased resources to address wildfire activity.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 1:08 PM.
