Three Boerne firefighters have arrived in Stinnett ready to help battle the biggest wildfire in the state’s history.
Firefighters Mark Cross and Cal Wallace arrived in the Stinnett, Texas area Feb. 27 and Assistant Chief Walter Bell joined them one day later. The trio are expected to be in the area for shifts of 14 to 21 days.
The wildfire at Smokehouse Creek is only 3% contained and has covered an estimated 1.075 million acres, becoming the largest blaze in Texas history, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Fire Chief Manuel Casarez Friday said The Boerne Fire Department has been building a Wildland Firefighting Team over the last few months and Cross, Bell and Wallace have met the standards set forth to align with the Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System standards.
They deployed as a strike team for this incident, the first wildland deployment for Cross and Wallace.
Assistant Chief Ball has deployed many times, Casarez said, “and is a well-respected member of the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force.”
Boerne FD has sent firefighters around the state before primarily on all-hazards deployments but has also sent firefighters to fight California wildfires and, more recently, to fight Louisiana wildfires.
The firefighters deployed on apparatus from the Schertz and New Braunfels fire departments and took Boerne FD wildland gear with them.
“We have good communication coming back to us, and having Chief Ball up there is even better,” Casarez said. “The assignment given is typically geographic in nature and the tasks change rapidly, sometimes based on the conditions of that location. Sometimes they are fighting fire with water, sometimes fighting fire with fire, cutting fire lines/breaks, mopping up hot spots, holding the fire line to ensure that there are no spot fires that cause a new fire, etc.”
Ball’s current assignment is the medical unit leader for Team 6. His duties are to lead the ambulance strike team, wildland paramedic unit and, when applicable, a rapid extraction unit (technical rescue). Cross has been with Boerne since 2016, previously with the Selma Fire Department. He also worked for the Texas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA.
He has experience in all-hazards response, emergency management, and is a licensed paramedic. Originally from the DFW area, he lives here with his wife and children.
Wallace has been with Boerne since 2023. Previously with the San Antonio Fire Department for 14 years, he has experience in all-hazards response, to include hazardous materials team, and is a paramedic. He is a Boerne native and lives here with his wife and children.
Ball joined Boerne in 2023 with more than 20 years of firefighting service to his credit, service earned with departments such as Shavano Park, Helotes and Canyon Lake.
Bexar County District 2 is where he has spent most of his career, moving up the ranks to division chief. He has been very involved at a state level while being a part of the medical incident support team, EMTF-8 task force leader and ambulance strike team task force leader.
Ball also has been teaching at San Antonio College since 2016. He lives in Bexar County with his wife and two daughters.
As of Friday, the Smokehouse Creek wildfire was only 3% contained. Two people have been confirmed dead. Wildfires, having moved east from the Texas Panhandle, were spreading in Oklahoma.
At least 12 fires were burning in the state, covering more than 115,000 acres.
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