LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. – Four Pasco County firefighters are back home after spending more than two weeks battling wildfires in Northern Texas.
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The crew was originally scheduled for a two-week deployment, but the assignment was extended as firefighters worked to contain two large fires and protect nearby homes and businesses.
Challenging conditions
What we know:
Special Operations Captain Bryan Spooner and three other Pasco County Fire Rescue personnel drove to Texas to assist with the 90,000-acre Ross fire in Palo Pinto
The area had been extremely dry, with no rain reported since July 11.
Courtesy: Pasco County Fire Rescue
That created challenging conditions for firefighters, including mountainous terrain and limited access to water.
For their first four days, the crew drafted water from nearby lakes and ponds. On the fifth day, they received a water tender to help with the water supply.
The firefighters were scheduled to work 12-hour shifts, but worked beyond those hours on all but three days of the deployment.
Another fire breaks out
Dig deeper:
While battling the Ross Fire, the Pasco crew spotted another column of smoke.
It turned out to be the Bug Beach Fire, another wildfire the team helped contain.
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Their primary focus throughout the deployment was preventing the fires from spreading to nearby homes and businesses.
Community support
What they’re saying:
Spooner said one of the highlights of the deployment was seeing how the local community rallied around firefighters.
Courtesy: Pasco County Fire Rescue
“There was a church there that wasn’t too far from where our location where we were working were, and they would have, you know, breakfast, lunch and dinner there for us,” he said.
Captain Spooner said rain finally moved into the area Friday, giving firefighters a chance to stand down and begin their trip home.
Returning home
What’s next:
The Pasco crew returned Monday and worked its first shift back Tuesday.
The team was among state and local crews working the Texas fires. Hernando County also sent a team of firefighters, who returned to Florida over the weekend.
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Fire damage costs
What we don’t know:
It’s unclear the cost of the damage left behind by the Ross and Beach Bug fires.Â
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