Texas A&M Forest Service, VFDs use ground attack as 8 Ball Fire containment rises

Описание: As the containment percentage on the 8 Ball Fire in Donley County increases throughout the day that’s a good sign that firefighters are getting the upper hand.

Due to the high winds and due to the critical need to have air tankers at other fires in the Texas Panhandle on Thursday, firefighters used a ground and pound approach to combat the 8 Ball Fire.

“So, not only Texas Forest Service but the local volunteer fire departments are around assisting and making sure that we can go alongside the flanks so the sides of the fire to prevent the spread and get the perimeter contained,” said Emery Johnson, public information officer with Texas A&M Forest Service.

“I don’t think people realize how much heavy equipment is involved in fighting a fire when they can’t give us air support,” said Sandy Lynn Childress, city secretary of Howardwick. “They (Texas A&M Forest Service) do stay in contact with us and with Clarendon letting us know as to what is being done.”


“We’re following behind looking at hot spots where the fire was at its worst,” said Eddie Chavira, fire chief of Howardwick VFD. “We are Just keeping our eyes on all that and making sure that everything is snuffed out.”

An evaluation will be done by incident command and the evaluate operations team which will be conducted later on Thursday to determine if air tankers need to be brought back to the 8 Ball Fire.

“The scoopers and the air tankers can come back its going to be pilot discretion with the weather and wind events,” said Johnson. “We did have aircraft up on the lavender fire so there is a potential they could head back this way, weather dependent.”

“The wind in our minds for any firefighter is the devil and again right now the winds are high we’re expected to have high winds for the next couple of days,” said Childress.

For residents who are impacted by the 8 Ball Fire along with firefighters who are assigned to battling the wildland fire all they can hope for now is the winds calm down beginning on Saturday.

Containment of the 8 Ball Fire moved up to 55%, as of late Thursday afternoon.

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