Texas fire chief dies responding to blaze in hard-hit Panhandle town

The volunteer fire chief of Fritch, Texas, a Panhandle city among the hardest hit in the state's deadly historic wildfires, died on Tuesday after responding to a structure fire unrelated to the wildfires.

Hutchinson County officials announced Zeb Smith's death, saying it came after his "tireless efforts over the past week."

"Chief Smith, a dedicated public servant, was the first on the scene, demonstrating his unwavering commitment and service to the Fritch community," Hutchinson County officials said in a press release on Tuesday morning. "During the response, Chief Smith faced unforeseen challenges and, despite emergency medical assistance and quick transportation to Golden Plains Community Hospital, tragically succumbed to his injuries."

Hutchinson County, which includes the town of Fritch, is where the Smokehouse Creek Fire ignited, growing to nearly 1.1 million acres in just a few days.

In a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, officials said that Smith had responded to a reported structure fire at a residence around 7 a.m. local time that day.

"Chief Smith arrived on scene. He entered the residence of the shelter to identify if there was anyone inside who needed to be rescued," public information officer Brandon Strope said. "Chief Smith did not exit that residence."

Other responders found the chief at 7:30 a.m. and began medical treatment. Officials said he was rushed to a community hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of his death.

"This structure fire was not directly related to the ongoing wildfires. It did not start as a cause of those wildfires," Strope clarified, adding, "However, I would be remiss if I did not say that Chief Smith, along with every other volunteer firefighter in this county and in his department, has responded for the last nine days actively fighting these fires. So I think we all can say with pretty good certainty that it did have a role in today's unfortunate incident."

Alan Wells, fire chief of Stinnett, another city in the county, noted at the news conference that Smith had not gotten much sleep while continuously fighting wildfires for nearly 10 days.

The handful of Texas Panhandle wildfires have burned nearly 1.25 million acres in just over a week, which is nearly the same amount of land that was burned by thousands of fires across the entire state from 2017 to 2021.

Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin said at the press conference that it was Smith's "dedication to his duty that ultimately led to his death."

"I'm extremely proud of the work that our local firefighters have done," Irwin said, adding that "Chief Smith led a fire department that prioritizes safety for its citizens. ... We'll continue to support the family of Chief Smith."

Fritch Mayor Tom Ray said that Smith joined the city's fire department in 2017 and rose to the rank of chief in 2020. He had two sons – the youngest is just 9 years old.

"He was one of my kids," Ray said about Smith through tears.

Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later time, officials aid.

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