A 10-acre fire burned for more than a day after igniting August 29 in Sand Branch, forcing evacuations and requiring firefighters to haul water into an unincorporated Dallas County community with no fire hydrants.
Fire suppression remained underway Monday morning, and personnel were expected to stay at the scene another 24 hours to prevent the fire from rekindling, according to a 7 a.m. Monday update from CBS Texas.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert around 10 p.m. for the 200 block of Burns Drive. Deputies evacuated nearby residents as multiple departments responded and asked the public to avoid the area.
Dallas Fire-Rescue answered a mutual-aid request at 10:29 p.m. at 206 Burns Drive. The first battalion chief found about 10 acres burning and two structures involved, according to DFR information reported by NBC 5. Officials later allowed residents to return home, and no injuries were reported.
Residents confront renewed flames
The fire burned tires, recreational vehicles and construction materials. Multiple abandoned RVs burning at the site ignited what county officials described as an unpermitted dumping site, WFAA reported. Fire crews had responded to previous fires at the location, according to the report.
Sand Branch advocate Danielle Chambless wrote in a Facebook post that the fire reignited after the initial response and residents tried to contain the flames with individual bottles of water. Chambless later said supporters had purchased 60 fire extinguishers while advocates sought additional fire blankets and safety equipment.
Crews confined the fire to an area containing brush, trash and debris piles. Firefighters used an excavator to expose buried hot spots, then attacked the flames with aerial ladders and hand lines. The Dallas County Fire Marshal’s Office continued investigating the cause.
Firefighters rely on tanker water
DFR engines and water tankers from surrounding counties maintained the water supply because Sand Branch has no hydrants. Crews from Dallas County, Forney, Rockwall, Seagoville, Kaufman County, Red Oak, Ovilla, Ellis County, Bristol and Combine provided resources, DFR said.
The Sandbranch Development and Water Supply Corporation says the historic community has no water or wastewater system. Residents rely on wells or transport water from outside sources.
Sand Branch has lacked a municipal running-water system for decades, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The missing infrastructure meant firefighters had to transport water into the community throughout the response.
Provided by Dallas Express
