By Scott Harvey
– Several firefighters from the region have been deployed to assist in the wild fires out west.
Early Thursday morning, Commerce, Celeste, Frisco and Prosper firefighters set out for Ft. Davis, where they'll be assigned to a Texas Forest Service Strike Team and/or Task Force. The group is currently working to control the 160,000 acre Rockhouse Fire. Units will be assisting with fire control, back burning and hot spots. Commerce Firefighter's Jeremy Littlefield and Bruce Millard are among the personnel on hand.
According to Commerce Fire Chief Brian McNevin, the deployment should take 5-7 days.
"We are also putting together another team of two personnel just in case we need to do a personnel swap next week to relieve Jeremy and Bruce and bring them home," McNevin said. "This crew would once again deploy out of Frisco and ride out there in a personnel van with other relief firefighters."
Late last month, three firefighters from Greenville were also called to assist in the wild fire effort.
The Texas Forest Service and local fire and volunteer fire departments have responded to more than 5,300 fires since January 1. Three-fourths of the state's 254 counties have burn bans.