"In the beginning, it was very hot, very smoky, the visibility was almost zero," explains Jimmy Hall, a fire fighter with ECCA.
Every fire has a different challenge, and at the fire outside of Tuscola, the fire fighters were having to watch the terrain and the flames.
Hall describes the challenge by saying, "The terrain made it even worse, the sandy conditions made some of the vehicles impossible to drive."
Which meant the aerial support from the Texas Forrest Service was critical.
"Without [The Texas Forrest Service] here to help us, it would be extremely difficult, and I would estimate this fire might've been double in size," admits Derrick Sowell with the Buffalo Gap Fire Department.
This fire comes just one week after the massive Rhodes Ranch fire, along with many others. In fact, the shear number of fires around the Big Country is really taking a toll on these Fire Departments.
"It's been very tough, our Fire Department has been on a fire for eight days straight. This makes the eighth day, so it's getting a little tiresome," says Hall.
Sowell echoes the feeling, "It's starting to take a toll on the fire fighters in this area." He continues to say that this goes beyond just the physical and mental strain, but it's creating a financial strain, as well. "It's becoming a real heartache, the financial burden, the physical stress. These folks are just working themselves to death and it's been happening day in and day out."
With the constant watch for fires, all of these fire fighters are asking people to be responsible and keep an eye out during these dry times.
"Right now, all fires are a challenge because it's so dry," says Sowell.
"The conditions are extremely dry, extremely hazardous, so please pay attention to the fire bans," mentions Hall.
