The Flower Mound Fire Department is among several area departments who have headed west to help battle the wildfires in Montague, Wise and surrounding counties.
Four members of Flower Mound's department have spent the last two days in various towns of Montague County, northwest of Denton County, battling a grass fire that has claimed lives and destroyed thousands of acres, as of Friday afternoon.
Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Metzger said 60 members of his department volunteered to go.
"Everyone was concerned and wanted to go," Metzger said. "It's just like anyone else in the fire service, they all wanted to help."
Flower Mound sent two apparatus operators, a captain and another firefighter to the area on a brush truck and a water tender.
Local firefighters, including those from the Lewisville, Carrollton and Lake Cities departments, met in Denton on Thursday afternoon before heading to the Texas Forest Service in Decatur.
From there, they headed to the city of Montague to battle blazes and went to other towns, such as Forestburg and Saint Jo.
"Right now, we're just mopping up the fires," said Flower Mound apparatus operator Wade Woody on Friday afternoon. "There aren't a whole lot of new fires, but there are some that are re-kindling and taking off again. We're going from small fire to small fire before they turn into big fires."
The fires started Thursday and have affected 12 counties: Archer, Clay, Eastland, Hamilton, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Stephens, Wichita, Wise and Young.
"There have been high winds, lack of rain, high temperatures and low humidity," Metzger said. "It's all the right conditions for a perfect storm."
Thursday afternoon, wind blew smoke and the scent of burning from the fires into the D/FW area, including Flower Mound.
Metzger said the crew is expected to return Saturday morning, unless the fire continues.
"If it extends beyond (Saturday), we'll swap out," Metzger said. "Our guys got three hours of sleep in the truck, so they're going to be exhausted."
Four members of Flower Mound's department have spent the last two days in various towns of Montague County, northwest of Denton County, battling a grass fire that has claimed lives and destroyed thousands of acres, as of Friday afternoon.
Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Metzger said 60 members of his department volunteered to go.
"Everyone was concerned and wanted to go," Metzger said. "It's just like anyone else in the fire service, they all wanted to help."
Flower Mound sent two apparatus operators, a captain and another firefighter to the area on a brush truck and a water tender.
Local firefighters, including those from the Lewisville, Carrollton and Lake Cities departments, met in Denton on Thursday afternoon before heading to the Texas Forest Service in Decatur.
From there, they headed to the city of Montague to battle blazes and went to other towns, such as Forestburg and Saint Jo.
"Right now, we're just mopping up the fires," said Flower Mound apparatus operator Wade Woody on Friday afternoon. "There aren't a whole lot of new fires, but there are some that are re-kindling and taking off again. We're going from small fire to small fire before they turn into big fires."
The fires started Thursday and have affected 12 counties: Archer, Clay, Eastland, Hamilton, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Stephens, Wichita, Wise and Young.
"There have been high winds, lack of rain, high temperatures and low humidity," Metzger said. "It's all the right conditions for a perfect storm."
Thursday afternoon, wind blew smoke and the scent of burning from the fires into the D/FW area, including Flower Mound.
Metzger said the crew is expected to return Saturday morning, unless the fire continues.
"If it extends beyond (Saturday), we'll swap out," Metzger said. "Our guys got three hours of sleep in the truck, so they're going to be exhausted."
