Groveton VFD Chief Glenn Hammond said a Thursday brush fire on unpopulated homestead land could have grown much larger without help from aircraft and surrounding departments. He said aircraft dropped 24,800 gallons of water, and the department, other county departments and the Texas A&M Forest Service responded with 12 brush trucks, two tankers and four bulldozers. The cause has not been determined, but Hammond said he believed hunters in the area started it.
Hammond said Groveton VFD was sent to a brush fire on Highway 94 East on Oct. 15 and found a burn victim, Frank Williams, 78. LifeFlight transported him. Williams died Oct. 19, and the cause of death has not been reported. Hammond said Williams was cleaning up property, may have had a container of gas, tripped, and the fire started.
Other fires included a hay field fire that broke out Saturday, which was likely caused by a hay bailer catching fire. On Oct. 21, Groveton VFD put out a fire started by a downed power line on FM 2262. Apple Springs VFD and Groveton VFD also fought a fire on FM 2262 and Womack Road.