by JEN BIUNDO
As wildfires rage across west Texas, emergency crews from Hays County have joined the fight.
This weekend, the Texas Forest Service dispatched five firefighters from Buda and two from Kyle to the Ft. Davis and Lubbock areas, where high winds and drought conditions have stoked the blazes spreading across hundreds of square miles. More than 100 homes have been destroyed.
In the past week, the Texas Forest Service has responded to 78 separate wildfires burning more than 385,000 acres. Firefighters from across the state are joining forces to battle the wildfires.
“Our state is really blessed to have brave men and women who never hesitate to run toward great danger that others are fleeing,” said Texas Governor Rick Perry on Tuesday, as he prepared to head to west Texas to survey the damage.
On Saturday morning, the Buda Fire Department sent a brush truck and two firefighters to Post, a small community 40 miles southeast of Lubbock. And on Sunday, three more firefighters from Buda and two from Kyle drove Buda’s Engine 31 to Fort Davis, to battle the blaze that raced across tens of thousands of acres.
“We have four engines here in Buda, so sparing one over there seemed like the right thing to do,” said Buda Fire Chief Clay Huckaby.
The firefighters stationed in the Post area have been in the thick of the action, Huckaby said, battling the blaze on the ground. In Fort Davis, the crews are primarily assigned to structure protection, standing guard to beat back fires as they approach buildings.
On Monday, Huckaby said, the firefighters in Fort Davis set up a perimeter around a special needs school that couldn’t be evacuated, keeping watch through the night.
With many large fires still uncontained, those on the front lines face the risk of injury or death. At least one west Texas firefighter was critically injured in the blaze. Firefighter Elias Jacquez suffered burns to 60 percent of his body and is hospitalized in critical condition in Lubbock, but is expected to survive.
“Absolutely we’re concerned about their safety,” Huckaby said of his firefighters. “We’ve been in constant contact with them, making sure everyone has what they need.”
Local fire departments will be reimbursed for staffing, fuel and equipment costs through the federal government, Huckaby said. The fire department is maintaining minimum staffing levels through the deployment.
