It was a race against time and windy conditions in East Fort Worth Tuesday afternoon after a grass fire sparked on the side of the interstate.
An estimated 70 firefighters rushed to the westbound side of I-30, just east of Loop 820. Fortunately, though the fire grew to a third alarm, there are no buildings near the scene so evacuations were not necessary, according to the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Tarrant County is considered an urban county so even small grass fires have the ability to quickly get out of control.
The Tarrant County fire marshal said his crews have put out 15 to 20 grass fires in unincorporated areas of the county in the past four weeks when they typically respond to ten.
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Fire Marshal Rand Renois says it’s important residents head county burn bans and help prevent fires around their homes.
Make sure your rain gutters are free of debris, he said.
Do not leave piles of debris around your house to help prevent any possible embers from sparking.
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“Keep your yard mowed real short and be cautious. If it’s coming toward you, be prepared to have to evacuate and take your prized possessions and emergency stuff with you,” said Renois. “We've had a couple of those fires where people either didn't know that there was a burn ban. People should know that we're in a critical condition. When the governor declares our county, an urban county, a disaster it’s pretty serious.”
Firefighters were rotated in and out of the afternoon grass fire along I-30 because of the extreme heat, according to FWFD.
A ‘rehab truck’ full of water and medical personnel were on the scene monitoring first responders.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
