Spann wildfire size revised to 300 acres in Shelby County

SHELBY COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - A wildfire near the Neuville community that started on Sunday is reported to have consumed 300 acres. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the acreage was reduced from an earlier estimate of 500 acres due to more accurate mapping. It was 100% contained as of about 9:20 p.m. Monday.

The Texas A&M Forest Service incident viewer showed the fire to be located along US Highway 96 N, near FM 2140 in Shelby County. It was reported to be 500 acres with multiple crews responding to achieve 35% containment at 7 p.m. Sunday. As of about 11:04 p.m., the forest service reported the fire was 75% contained.

Crews worked all day Monday to establish containment lines, and at about 5:50 p.m., the forest service declared the fire 90% contained. It was 100% contained as of about 9:20 p.m.

The forest service said seven aircraft were used to complete water drops and monitor hot spots. They confirmed that one mobile home burned late Sunday afternoon. As of Monday evening, the cause of the fire remained unknown.

Larry Chandler, the pastor of a church right next to the fire, shared his experience. He remembered leaving church at about 11:45 a.m. without noticing anything amiss.

“We didn’t smell or see anything at all,” Chandler said. “I got home, well, I live about 25 miles from here. I got home and got a call that there was a fire about 50 yards from the church. So, I came back over here, and she was showing me where the fire was, just across the county road, 50 yards from the front of the church.”

Chandler said the response from emergency services and from the community has been impactful.

“We have folks from Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana and various parts of Texas,” he said. “I’m retired Air Force; I’m pastor of the church here, and the community, as you can see from what is here in the fellowship hall” has come together to offer strong support. Spann’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church has opened its doors to offer workers relief, and the fellowship hall is stacked high with cases of water and Gatorade ready to distribute.

“According to DPS this morning,” Chandler said, “one house and one abandoned mobile home was destroyed, and that’s all.”

The fire jumped over the county road near the cemetery but only burned grass. Chandler said he felt God provided wind to keep it away from the church building.

Shelby County community members also offered a helping hand for crews battling the wildfire.

Kathy Hegler of Center dropped off more drinks and food Monday afternoon. Hegler said it was important to help out any way she could. “These firemen work so hard and tirelessly, and the heat is just overwhelming,” she said.

“I know we couldn’t go in to help fight fires, but there are other things that the community can do to support them, and I tell you what, it’s been awesome the amount of support that these guys have gotten here,” said Chirel Sanders, a deacon with Neuville Baptist Church.

Sanders and other church members prepared food Sunday afternoon to hand out to the firemen. “For me, this is what you should do when you have a major emergency happening in your area,” Sanders said. “It’s for everybody to come together and help out.”

The American Red Cross will be at Neuville Baptist Church to provide assistance to anyone affected by the fire Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For an updated map on wildfires in East Texas, click here.

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