Teresa Ross said she was running errands at 11 a.m. when her teenage son Andrew called from home and said, “Mom, we have a situation.”
“What is it this time?” Ms. Ross said.
When told about the brush fire, she rushed home to find that it had scorched a field behind her house. It came so close to her property that Andrew, concerned about losing the home, used a water hose to wet the house and lawn. He also moved his car and family’s two dogs down the street away from the house.
An Oncor lineman, Brian Bustilloz, was working in the area and saw the smoke and flames. He called 911 and knocked on the door to tell Andrew about the fire.
“I was on the computer and had no idea what was going on outside,” Andrew said.
Bell County Fire Marshal Steve Casey said the fire was started by a spark from a chainsaw that someone was using to cut brush. Casey said the man attempted to put the fire out but 20 to 25 mile-per-hour winds fueled the blaze.
Tanker trucks from Salado and Nolanville supplied water to brush trucks from several area volunteer fire departments. Crews worked for two hours to put the fire out.
Fire personnel from Salado, Belton, Morgan’s Point, Nolanville, Little River and Stillhouse helped battle the blaze.
