FireWatch Texas

04/20/2025

On this Easter Sunday, please pause to remember Elias Macias Jaquez of the Cactus Fire Department, who died 14 years ago today, one of five firefighters who fell in Texas during the 2011 wildfire season.

Elias was born in Cuauhtémoc‚ Chihuahua‚ Mexico and emigrated to the United States, meeting his wife in New Mexico. He lived and worked in Cactus for 23 years and was a volunteer firefighter for two. He loved caring for the animals on his farm. He was survived by his wife, four daughters and three grandchildren at the time of his death.

04/15/2025

This is the 14th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Greg Simmons, the first of five firefighters to have died battling wildfires in Texas in 2011. The others are Elias Macias Jaquez (4/20/11), David Goines (6/9/11), Caleb Hamm (7/7/11), and Tony Myers (8/28/11). Honor their memory by being mindful of the ever-present risk of wildfire in Texas, acting responsibly, and supporting programs that mitigate the risk.

LODD Funeral

11/12/2024

I am deeply appalled that an 18-year-old untrained in wildland firefighting was put into a fire crew and died Saturday in Orange County, New York. Dariel Vasquez, your loss and sacrifice will be remembered. Condolences to your family.

The blaze in Orange County, N.Y., was the latest in a series of wildfires to plague the region.

08/28/2022

Remembering Tony Myers, who died in the line of duty when the ATV he was driving was struck by another vehicle. He was traveling between two separate blazes in Jasper County to monitor their progress at the time. Local authorities suspected that both fires had been deliberately set. Tony was a longtime volunteer firefighter with the Angelina River Fire & Rescue and Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department.

07/07/2022

Remembering Caleb Hamm, who died in the line of duty at 23-years-old fighting a wildfire near Mineral Wells, Texas on July 7, 2011 . Caleb was a member of the Bonneville (Utah) Hotshots firefighting crew. He fell due to exhaustive heat stroke. Like many wildland firefighters, Caleb had a passion for the outdoors. His parents moved the family to Boise when he was a boy, and he enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, hunting, hiking and swimming. He cared about stewardship of nature and once made a deal with his parents that if they'd give up styrofoam plates, he'd do the dishes. Though 2011 was Caleb's first season as a firefighter, it was his sixth season working with BLM. As Texans, let's take a moment to remember a young man who came from faraway to help us and be mindful of his parents, Lynette and David, and his brother Seth on this eleventh anniversary of their loved one's sacrifice

06/09/2022

Assistant Chief David Goins died June 9, 2011 while fighting a wildfire near his home. David had been a volunteer firefighter for 30 years.

A Huntington firefighter died while battling a fire in a wooded area Thursday night, according to The Lufkin Daily News.

04/20/2022

Elias Macias Jaquez died April 20, 2011 from burns suffered on April 9 while fighting a grassfire in Moore County., Texas. https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/fatalityData/detail?fatalityId=3905

04/15/2022

Friends, on this Good Friday and first night of Passover, let's pause to remember Greg Simmons, a member of the Eastland Fire Department, who died on April 15, 2011 battling a wildfire near Gorman. Greg was the first fatality of the devastating 2011 Texas wildfire season.

Gregory Mack Simmons began a life that would cross paths with people from all walks...

07/06/2016

The most heart-breaking death during the 2011 Texas wildfire season was that of 23-year-old Caleb Hamm on July 7. Caleb came to Texas as a member of the Bonneville Hotshots firefighting crew. He fell due to exhaustive heat stroke while fighting a fire near Mineral Wells. Like many wildland firefighters, Caleb had a passion for the outdoors. His parents moved the family to Boise when he was a boy, and he enjoyed skiing, snowboarding, hunting, hiking and swimming. He cared about stewardship of nature and once made a deal with his parents that if they'd give up styrofoam plates, he'd do the dishes. Though 2011 was Caleb's first season as a firefighter, it was his sixth season working with BLM. As Texans, let's take a moment to remember a young man who came from faraway to help us and be mindful of his parents, Lynette and David, and his brother Seth on this fifth anniversary of their loved one's sacrifice.

06/09/2016

Five years ago today, David Goins, age 47, died while fighting a brush fire near his home in Huntington, Texas. He was attempting to fight the blaze alone when he was overcome. His body was discovered by the Texas Forest Service when they went to clear a fire break after spotting the smoke from a helicopter. Goins was a firefighter with the Huntington Volunteer Fire Department and had been a firefighter for 30 years. He was remembered by a colleague as a good mentor and as someone who "would do things not for the glory but because the department needed it." He was the father of three sons. On this fifth anniversary of the deadly 2011 wildfire season, please be mindful of the fallen firefighters and their families.

Read the Obituary and view the Guest Book, leave condolences or send flowers. | David Wayne Goins, 47, of Huntington, the son of Wanda Louise (Mitchell) and the late Peter Joshua Goins, was born January 1, 1964 in Lufkin and passed away June 9, 2011. He was a retired

09/03/2015

17 TX counties with 10,000+ homes at high risk of wildfire; 7 along I-35 corridor. http://t.co/YFtiETF84D http://t.co/ODtIsl7AL0

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09/03/2015

90,000 homes at high risk of wildfire along IH35 corridor from Bexar to Bell Co. We're here to help.