A volunteer working in his own firefighting vehicle battling the Chalk Mountain Fire Monday in Somervell County escaped serious injury after being overtaken by flames, the county sheriff's office says.
The man's vehicle was lost to the fire but he escaped with only minor injuries thanks to a deputy with the Somervell County Sheriff's Office, the office said in a release Thursday.
The sheriff's office said Deputy Greg Sharp was going door-to-door giving evacuation notices, warning of the fast-approaching fire. Sharp, the sheriff's office said, then happened across the man as he was fighting the fire with his own "military-style fire truck."
Eventually, the fire overcame both the man and his vehicle and he was forced to abandon it, joining Sharp in his vehicle as they narrowly escaped the flames, the office said.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Both Sharp and the man were able to escape with only minor injuries. Sharp's department vehicle was damaged, but Sharp is still on duty in Somervell County Thursday, according to the sheriff's office.
The Somervell County Sheriff's Office said the two vehicles in this incident are the only ones to be known to have been damaged by the Chalk Mountain Fire.
"We are very thankful we have had no loss of life and we firmly believe this was in great part due to the actions of the first responders who first arrived on-scene," the sheriff's office said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
As of Thursday morning, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the Chalk Mountain Fire has burned 6,339 acres and is only 10% contained.
