At three-month anniversary, recovery still in progress after Eastland County wildfires

More than three months after wildfires ravaged much of Eastland County, assistance efforts aimed at residents who lost homes and property are shifting from immediate needs to the long-term.

"Up until a few weeks ago, our community was in the immediate response stage," Eastland County Judge Rex Fields said in a news release on the county's recovery process.

"To meet the response needs, agencies have provided immediate financial assistance when needed for items such as groceries, gas and hotel stays."

Comprised of several wildfires igniting March 16-20, the Eastland Complex fires burned 54,513 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Most of the damage was in the southern portion of the county, with the areas of Carbon, Kokomo and Gorman sustaining extensive damage.

Fields, who will be retiring in December after 16 years as county judge, told the Reporter-News that the scale of the damage to the county was unprecedented.

"We've had wildfires and floods and other kinds of disasters before," Fields said. "We've not had one that wiped out most of a city like this. We lost about 10 percent of the county to fires."

The Kidd Fire, the largest of the complex's fires at 42,333 burned acres, destroyed 83 houses and 59 other structures, with another 225 structures damaged, the forest service said.

Also attributed to the fires was the death of Eastland County Sheriff's Deputy Barbara Fenley, who was killed on March 17 while evacuating rural residents.

Photo Gallery: Sgt. Barbara Fenley is honored, remembered by Eastland County

Nonprofit steps up

Eastland County's long-term recovery committee has tasked United Rescue Alliance with managing assistance for individuals, Fields said.

The nonprofit disaster relief organization based out of the former Camp Barkeley near View was one of the first organizations to join the fire recovery efforts, Field said, and is in the process of reviewing assistance requests.

"There has been a large number of requests," Fields said in the release, "and URA is working diligently to ensure that each request is reviewed to determine the best course of action to assist the family in their recovery process."

Assistance can range from financial to referrals to other agencies who have available resources, he said.

In the release, Fields gave assurances that requests are being received and processed.

"It's an ongoing process," Fields told the Reporter-News on Monday. "It's going to take a long time to get that all worked out, but URA has done a good job as far as I'm concerned."

URA has distributed almost half of available funding to families affected by the fire, the release stated.

As of Thursday, URA has dispersed $157,000 to benefit 51 families directly and another 85 families indirectly. The nonprofit is managing grants from four funds totaling $327,000.

The largest of those grants, the Community Foundation Joint Fund, allocates $200,000 to provide financial assistance to families who are starting to rebuild. Of that amount, almost $55,000 already has been dispersed, the release said, providing help to 18 families.

Also among the beneficiaries are 80 families who are tapped to split $35,000 from a $100,000 private donation. Carbon Community Church is handling the distribution of the $35,000, which totals about $440 per family, the release said.

The private donation also has covered the cost of heavy machinery, contractors, new home appliances and other rebuilding needs.

Residents still needing to file for assistance can contact URA at info@unitedrescuealliance.org, Fields said. They should include their name, a summary of their current situation and any financial documents showing a need for assistance, such as bills or invoices.

URA also can be contacted at 325-310-4883, but expect to leave a voice mail because of a high volume of calls, the release said.

Fire Relief Fest

Fundraising to assist wildfire victims continues.

This weekend, there is a barbecue cookoff and evening of outdoor music dubbed the "Fire Relief Fest" to benefit the Carbon Volunteer Fire Department.

Gates open at noon Sunday behind Triple T Transport, 507 S. Main St. in Carbon. Festivities start with a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m., followed by a live auction at 3:30 p.m.

The live music starts at 5 p.m. with five bands: William Clark Green, Josh Abbott Band, Roger Creager, Larry Joe Taylor and Tejas Brothers.

Additionally, a barbecue cookoff starts Saturdaym with registration at 3-5 p.m.

Festival tickets are $30, with a $10 cooler fee. For tickets or information, go to firerelieffest.com. For cookoff registration, call 817-304-7589.

While some of Carbon's historical buildings were lost to the fire, Fields told the Reporter-News that he believes the community will survive.

"I think – as they're calling it – 'Carbon Strong,' that idea will win out," Fields said.

"It will not look the same ... but it's still going to be a very vibrant, alive community."

Nathaniel Ellsworth is a general assignments reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Three-month anniversary: Eastland County still recovering from fires