Staff Reports
What started as a 10 acre fire quickly spread to over 500 acres Wednesday afternoon as high winds across the County pushed it into nearby woods.
The fire started south and east of the intersection of FM2208 and FM 3001 in southern Marion County. The cause has yet to be officially released.
It took around 9 hours to contain the fire according to Harrison County Fire Marshall Jamie McConnell. round midnight Wednesday, McConnell said “It took a helicopter, airplanes, bulldozers, multiple fire trucks from 6 different agencies, and countless firefighters and support personnel to battle a wild land fire that occurred in Marion County! After nine hours of firefighting and hundreds of acres later, our volunteers, some armed with only rakes, were able to contain the fire while protecting numerous houses and outbuildings. The dedication of our men and women in the fire service is immeasurable. We would also like to thank Serenity Ranch for supplying food and drinks for everyone!! It was well appreciated and needed!”
Marion County Judge Leward LaFleur issued both a Disaster Declaration and a Burn Ban for Marion County.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer, the fire was 90% contained as of 7:30a Thursday.
Texas A&M Forest Service personnel responded to 14 new wildfires in Texas that burned 18,518 acres.
For information about active and recently contained wildfires, visit the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer: https://tfswildfires.com/public/
Fire photos: Judge LaFleur and Fire Marshal McConnell