By Colter Hettich, Features Editor

The latest blaze in West Texas’ string of grass fires burned more than 300 acres Thursday, leaving only ash and burnt mesquite in its wake. Firefighters from Buffalo Gap, Ecca, Jim Ned, View and other surrounding towns worked together efficiently – with crucial help from Texas Forest Service (TFS) – and contained the flames just after dark.

“I wouldn’t even want to think what it would have looked like had [TFS] not responded as quickly as they did,” said Les Bruce, Taylor County sheriff.

Bruce has his own ideas of what sparked the fire and assured Abilenians that a memo would go out Friday morning, enforcing a zero-tolerance litter policy.

“Where I’m standing, it looks like a careless motorist,” Bruce said. “We all need to be much more careful.”

Cynthia Newman, County Road 154 resident, was one of the first to discover the blaze. Newman spotted smoke as she drove down CR 158. “I was going down the hill. The wind picked up, and then boom,” she said, as she reenacted the event. “I had to slam on my breaks, otherwise I would have driven right through the flames.”

Newman turned 180 degrees and wasted no time in warning her neighbors. Thanks to her expediency, McMurry professor Paul Pyenta received a phone call during class from his home on CR 158.

“My wife called me and said, ‘Hey. You gotta come home. They’re evacuating,'” Paul said. “So I told her, ‘I’m on my way.'”

Paul and Josie gathered their four children – Adam, 8, Noddi, 5, Gabe, 4, and Rainey, 2 – and followed authorities’ recommendations to leave their home and move east, away from the fire.

The Abilene Fire Department left the smoldering grounds at 5:22 p.m. and headed for home. Bruce said that anytime volunteers start packing up their equipment, it is a good sign that progress is being made.

Two hours later, Highway 83/84 reopened to traffic, as the remaining volunteer workers switched on the floodlights and searched the smoking earth for hot spots.