Chalk Mountain Fire burns 6,700 acres in Somervell County
GLEN ROSE, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a briefing in Somervell County on Saturday where he'll give an update on efforts to battle the largest wildfire currently burning in the state.
The Chalk Mountain Fire has burned more than 6,700 acres, destroying multiple homes and other properties.
One woman has been working nonstop to help those battling the flames even as her family’s properties have burned.
Kat Placide describes her family’s harrowing escape on Monday as the Chalk Mountain Fire closed in on their 200-acre property in Glen Rose.
"There is a tree line, and I let a gentleman out of the car," she said. "And you could see it just brewing."
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Placide was nine miles away at work when she learned her sister was about to evacuate.
"Got in my truck and took off to the family land. Ny dad was there trying to water everything on our property," she said. "And I said, ‘Mom and Dad, we gotta go.’ And they’re like, ‘No, it’s not gonna cross the road.’ And I’m like, ‘It’s going to cross the road. Y’all have got to go.’"
And around 6 p.m. on Monday, that’s just what happened.
"It had not just crossed the road, but it engulfed both sides of our county road," she said.
Knowing her family was safe, Placide jumped into action as Chief Nursing Officer at Glen Rose Medical Center, setting up a triage station at a local restaurant for firefighters or anyone else who may have gotten hurt.
First it was just hospital staff. Then, more medical staff from other locations came to volunteer.
"And so we were giving IVs to firemen and just trying to set up whatever they needed. Whatever first aid they needed," said
And in the back of Placide’s mind, all she could thing about was if her house will make it ink of was maybe my house will make it through the night. The next day, she learned five of the family’s seven homes were gone.
"The last picture I took in that house was of my dad and my nephews, and that’s all we have," she said.
Five days into the firefight, Spokesperson Andy Gray says heat and high winds are still making it challenging for crews to get the containment lines to stick.
"We’re shifting those hand crews. Some of them more into a night shift because it’s about 30 degrees cooler," he said.
A total of 189 fire personnel are now working 24/7, but it’s unclear for how long.
"It’s gonna be day-by-day. We’ll be here obviously long as we’re needed," Gray said.
Placide has the same mentality when it comes to treating the firefighters. Her triage center has now expanded to her alma mater: Glen Rose High School.
"My thought was if I can just help one firefighter get back out there 20 minutes sooner, maybe somebody else doesn’t lose their house," she said. "You know what I mean? That’s how I look at it."