Texas ranchers step in to rescue livestock as Ross Fire burns 80,000 acres in Palo Pinto area
Wednesday marked Day 3 of the Ross Fire, and ranchers Trent and Bart Simmons were still on edge.
"I think that's the big nervous part for everybody here, with that wind pushing up, will it reignite all that?" said Trent.
As of Wednesday evening, officials said the fire covered 80,000 acres and was 12 percent contained.
"It's black everywhere. Everything is just burned up," Bart told CBS News Texas. "One of the guys here saw an actual coyote on fire."
Since the fire started, the Simmonses have been rescuing cattle belonging to people in the Palo Pinto area, moving them from ranches further south and out of danger.
"People were forced to get out too fast, so cows couldn't find holes, and they kind of got trapped," Trent said.
The family estimates they've saved about 60 head of cattle so far.
"I think that's part of the cowboy spirit," said Trent. "I think that's also just a part of the ranching community. The Texas Spirit."
Some of the cattle they found were suffering from burns, serious injuries, and smoke inhalation. Others didn't survive.
"We saw cattle everywhere. We saw some dead cattle on the side of the road," said Bart. "Cattle on the side of the road that had just burnt up. It was just a desperate situation.
And even the cattle that did survive are now dealing with trauma. On Wednesday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller activated the State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund and the TDA's Hay and Feed Hotline. The program is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses repair or replace infrastructure damaged by natural disasters.
"They're so skittish," Bart said, "I mean, they just took off running as soon as we came in on horseback."
The Simmons family said they'll keep helping. But for them, it's the entire community they're thankful for.
"I'm kind of proud of the community and everybody that's given up their self selflessly," said Trent.
The Simmons family also owns the provision house in Farmers Branch, where they've received several donations to help our firefighters.
