Mineral Wells Area News

A rapidly spreading grassfire that threatened multiple residential structures near Sand Lane in Santo was successfully contained without damage to homes or injuries, county officials reported.

The blaze, which began around 5:14 p.m. on March 25, prompted a three-alarm response involving over 20 units from Palo Pinto County Emergency Services District 1 and neighboring jurisdictions.

Brush 13 from Santo was first to respond, observing a large smoke column while en route and immediately requesting additional resources. The fire was burning through moderate fuel loads and moving aggressively due to erratic weather conditions.

“Our crews encountered significant fire behavior upon arrival and immediately began offensive operations,” said Danny Watkins, Fire Chief of Palo Pinto County ESD 1.

As the situation escalated, incident command requested a second alarm at 5:28 p.m., followed by a third alarm at 5:44 p.m. when multiple homes became threatened.

Chief 13 from Santo led structural protection efforts while Battalion 1 coordinated overall fire suppression operations with resources from multiple departments including Santo, Palo Pinto, Strawn, Lone Camp, Mineral Wells, Gordon, Lake Palo Pinto, Brazos, and mutual aid from Parker and Hood counties.

Firefighters stopped the fire’s forward progress by 6:36 p.m. and declared it fully extinguished at 9:42 p.m.

County Fire Marshal officials were notified and will investigate the cause of the fire.

“This incident demonstrates the exceptional dedication of our firefighters and the strong mutual aid partnerships with our neighboring agencies,” Watkins said.