VIEW, Texas — Efforts continue to contain multiple fires across West Texas and water and fuel is needed to make that happen.
That's when emergency management teams step in to provide help.
“Emergency management in general, it helps with incident stabilization. Our main goal is folks and property making sure that they're ok and that they're squared away. We're responsible for preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. We move from response and we're already working on recovery with these folks lining everybody up that can get some relief to the situation,” Abilene Emergency Management Coordinator Vincent Cantu said.
Nearly 50 thousand acres of land have been on fire in West Texas over the past week. Although many are nearly contained, departments are stretched thin with keeping up with needed water and fuel.
Funds such as the Big Country Relief Fund are available for the community to donate as they push to get fires contained.
“It's a big help that people can donate to that. The Community Foundation Appling can help spread those funds out to all of us that need it. I've already gotten some messages from them that if they send them copies of our bills, invoices, that when we do have to pay for something they'll look at it and then consider possible reimbursement back to us, full reimbursement for what it's costing us to do this,” Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop said.
Bishop also mentioned the Texas Department of Transportation has been quick with providing fuel to firefighting crews. C4 Fuels also donated fuel for these trucks and has been transporting fuel to the View Volunteer Fire Department, as well.
If you would like to make a donation to help, go to the Big Country Fire Relief Fund page at cfcabilene.org.
