A volunteer narrowly escaped the flames at Chalk Mountain on Monday while fighting the blaze with his own “military-style fire truck.”
Somervell Deputy Greg Sharp happened across the man fighting the fire while giving evacuation notices on July 18 to area residents. While the volunteer sustained only minor injuries, his truck was consumed by the fire.
As the flames overcame his vehicle, the man was forced to abandon it. He joined Sharp in his department vehicle, and the two sped away.
Both men sustained minor injuries, and the deputy’s vehicle also sustained damage. These two vehicles are the only two known to be damaged by the Chalk Mountain fire.
The sheriff’s office stated, “We are very thankful we have had no loss of life, and we firmly believe this was in great part due to the actions of the first responders who first arrived on-scene.”
As of Wednesday, the Chalk Mountain Fire was still only 40% contained.