Over the weekend, area fire departments were hard at work in Erath County and the surrounding counties.
Erath County Emergency Manager Cyndi Smith is reminding everyone that the county remains under a burn ban and those violating the ban can receive citations as well as be held accountable for damages caused by a fire.
On Friday, July 22, there was a fire reported on Private Road 701, which included homes near 205 and 182. Roadways were closed during the fire for safety of the firefighters.
“We were able to get assistance from the air attacks from the Chalk Mountain Fire which allowed the fire departments to get a quicker stop on the fire,” Smith said.
Two additional fires were reported on the west side of the county from people violating the burn ban.
On Monday, July 25, Dublin VFD responded to two fires – one of the south end of the Dublin loop and one on South Patrick near the loop. DVFD was able to get a quick stop on the fires which were caused by power lines arcing.
The Chalk Mountain Fire in Somervell County near Glen Rose is listed at only 20% containment and has grown to an estimated 6,746 acres as of July 26. As of presstime, there were 314 firefighter personnel, 25 engines, 11 dozers and four handcrews working on the fire that has continued to burn since July 18.
The firefighting efforts recently drew Governor Greg Abbott to the area along with Senator Brian Birdwell, Representative Shelby Slawson, Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers, Hood County Judge Ron Massingill, and other state and local officials who spoke at a press conference Saturday, July 23.
“Wildfires continue to impact communities across our state, and the State of Texas is working around the clock to ensure Texans and their loved ones are kept safe,” Governor Abbott said. “Thank you to the brave first responders and emergency response personnel for their courage in protecting their local communities. As we continue our efforts to safeguard our communities, Texans should remain vigilant, weather-aware, and mindful of guidance from their local officials as we navigate potential and ongoing fires.”
During the press conference, the Governor signed a disaster declaration in response to fire activity throughout Texas amending the original declaration to include Somervell County along with 10 additional counties. Erath, Eastland, Comanche, Hood, Bosque, Brown and Palo Pinto counties are also included in the declaration. 73 counties are listed in the disaster declaration and 189 counties out of 254 counties are listed in a drought declaration which was renewed by the governor last week.
The governor also encouraged Texans affected by wildfires to complete TDEM’s Self Reporting Damage Survey.
This survey will help the state identify damages across Texas and allow emergency management officials to gain an understanding of damages caused by recent wildfires.
This data is also needed to provide information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine the state’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance and highlight the need for individuals.
The voluntary survey, available in both English and Spanish, can be accessed by visiting: damage.tdem. texas.gov.
Reporting damage to TDEM is a voluntary activity, is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance agency, and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance. Users should select “Wildfire Outbreak” as the active incident.
Emergency responders are also spreading the word that wildfires are no fly areas for drones. Flying a drone near a wildfire can shut down all air operations.
The 1148 Fire, located on Possum Kingdom Lake, is listed at 95% containment as of July 25, with an estimated 457 acres. Currently, all firefighters except two have been released from the fire.
Both fires still have unknown causes.