A fast-moving fire in Tarrant County consumed several homes and threatened many more on Wednesday before being stopped.
Firefighters responded to reports of a fire in the community of Rendon, just south of Fort Worth, around 6:30 p.m.
Eyewitness Hervey Duran explained how “the entire house was on fire in the span of 15 minutes, and it got to where it is now. I don’t know. I was pretty shook.”
After battling the blazes for several hours, three homes were destroyed, while at least five other houses sustained some damage. The Tarrant County Fire Marshall concluded that the flames originated in the kitchen of one of the homes before quickly spreading due to the arid environment.
Elizabeth Taylor, one of the people who lost their home, responded to the tragedy by saying, “That’s all my everything… I guess I can look at the positive side and say I got rid of a lot of stuff I didn’t have to mess with.”
The local Rendon Fire Department has shared information reminding residents, “When you combine excessive heat, low humidity, and wind gusts 15+ mph, it creates a perfect storm for a small spark to become a disaster. Critical fire danger persists through this week.”
The fire department added, “A small grass fire or house fire rapidly spreading and [can engulf] other homes and buildings in a matter of minutes.”
The situations in Balch Springs and Rendon are a true reminder of our current extreme drought condition. A small grass fire or house fire rapidly spreading and engulfing other homes and buildings in a matter of minutes. (1/2)
— DFW Scanner (@DFWscanner) July 27, 2022
In response to the hot and dry conditions, Tarrant County issued a ban on outdoor burning on Thursday, which is still currently in effect. Similarly, Dallas County has also implemented a burn ban for 60 days, which began on Saturday.
A large number of fires have recently broken out across the DFW area, including a large grass fire in Balch Springs, while Fort Worth has experienced over 300 individual fires this month alone.
