Firefighters in Ferris had a busy afternoon Wednesday, extinguishing two separate fires in rapid succession.
The first fire started at 1:35 p.m. in the 500 block of Ewing Road when someone was sawing steel. The sparks caused a brush fire, but local firefighters were able to put out the fire before it caused any structural damage or injuries.
Sparks from cutting steel can fly up to 30 feet. Cutting and welding are the “number one fire hazard of industry,” according to an article published in Fire Engineering.
The second fire began around 1:55 p.m. when an individual was burning trash in the 600 block of FM-983. The burning caused a structure fire, spreading from the barn to the house.
The four residents in the home were safely evacuated. No one was injured, but the house was lost to the flames.
Ferris is located about 20 miles south of central Dallas. Surrounding fire departments from Lancaster, Red Oak, Wilmer, Hutchins, and Palmer assisted the Ferris Fire Department with extinguishing the house fire.
The city of Ferris is in Ellis County, one of 224 Texas counties with burn bans in effect due to dry conditions. Currently, there are 10 active wildfires in Texas.
Ferris City Manager Brooks Williams reminded the public to “heed the warnings you are hearing on television.”
