Ohioans provide help to victims of largest wildfire in Texas history

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Texas panhandle faces a long road to recovery after the state’s largest wildfire in history and a group from Ohio is lending a hand.

At least two people have been killed, hundreds of structures destroyed, and thousands of cattle have also died from the wildfire. Ranchers are looking for help to feed the surviving cattle.

“As far as you can see scorched, unbelievable,” Heath resident Randy Sparks said in a video he recorded during a recent stop to an area devastated by flames.

Sparks drove down to Texas with another central Ohioan. They dropped off some much needed bales of hay.

“It was just for miles that you would drive and see things burned,” Sparks said.

The efforts were organized through Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

“It’s something we can do to make an impact for folks who are really struggling in disaster and so when we see these things, we have to respond. To sit and ignore them to me and for us, I think for just humanity is not acceptable,” said John Header, the state director of the organization.

The group in Texas put out a call for hay bales, according to Heading. He shared it with the Ohio community and a couple farmers donated dozens of bales. Sparks and his friend picked them up, then hauled them to a site in the Panhandle where bales from other states have been dropped off.

“Farmers and ranchers, they’re usually pretty tough, they don’t show you a lot of emotion, but these guys, some of them lost cows and now they’re having to feed the baby cows with formula,” Sparks said.

17 hay bales were brought down on the trip. Ohio Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is organizing another trip to send another 34 to Texas.

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