Cooke Fire Marshal Issues Heat Warning as Callisburg VFD Adds Tender

GAINESVILLE, Texas — Cooke County emergency authorities are urging heightened outdoor caution during an extended stretch of hot and dry weather, even as rural volunteer fire departments work to strengthen emergency water supplies across unhydrated areas. The Cooke County Emergency Management and Fire Marshal's Office alerted county residents that persistent summer heat and drying vegetation will escalate wildfire risks across North Texas over the coming weeks. Although local officials have not declared a formal outdoor burn ban, emergency managers stressed that outdoor burning requires increased vigilance. Landowners planning any agricultural or brush burning are required to notify Cooke County Dispatch and their local volunteer fire department prior to igniting fires. The safety advisory coincided with a wildland fire response by the Callisburg Volunteer Fire Department to an out-of-control trash fire on Big Indian Road that rapidly expanded beyond a property owner's containment capabilities. During the Big Indian Road call, Callisburg VFD deployed its newly acquired Tender 117 on its maiden emergency response. The 2004 Peterbilt tanker carries 3,500 gallons of water and was purchased from the Dodd City Fire Department after Dodd City acquired a new apparatus through a grant. Callisburg fire officials noted that Tender 117 replaces the department's out-of-service 1994 International tanker (Tender 111), which was retired due to mechanical safety issues. With brand-new commercial tenders costing approximately $600,000, rural fire departments frequently rely on inter-department equipment transfers and grant assistance to maintain water-hauling capacity for structural and wildland fire protection. Emergency management personnel remind residents to practice heat safety and report any unattended fires immediately to county dispatchers.