Hutchinson County officials announced that Chief Smith was fighting forest fires in the state. However, his death occurred when he went to an emergency unrelated to that situation. They detailed that, despite medical assistance and him being quickly transported to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
As they announced, On Tuesday afternoon, Smith responded to a reported structure fire at a residence around 7 a.m. The man entered the place looking for people who needed to be rescued. But he didn't come out anymore. Around 7:30 am other rescuers found him and began providing first aid. He was later rushed to a hospital, but he did not survive.
Although his death was not related to the wildfires, officials emphasized that Smith had indeed served during that emergency and was part of the tireless efforts last week to try to contain the flames.
“Chief Smith, a dedicated public servant, was the first on the scene demonstrating his unwavering commitment and service to the community,” Hutchinson County officials said in a statement.
Even Alan Well, fire chief of Stinnett, another city in the county, said that Smith hadn't gotten much sleep as he had continually battled wildfires. for almost ten days, so he was not in the best conditions to carry out his heroic work.
Texas continues to fight wildfires
According to state authorities, the wildfire continues in the Panhandle, destroying more than 435,000 hectares. According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, Five fires are still active in the region.
Efforts to contain the flames continue and the cold front that arrived in the area this week is expected to help minimize the impact of the fires.
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