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Abandoned home destroyed in Gun Barrel City fire

The fire finally burned itself out after five hours. Units from Payne Springs, Seven Points and Mabank also responded.
Credit: Gun Barrel City Fire Department

GUN BARREL CITY, Texas — Several units responded to a large structure fire Monday afternoon in Gun Barrel City.

According to the Gun Barrel City FD, the fire broke out at about 12:58 p.m. at an abandoned house near a Denny's at 1015 West Main. The area was heavily wooded and inaccessible for fire trucks.

"This fire was exceptionally hard to fight due to the location of the house in the woods and the soft terrain. We had to adjust our tactics to stop a large house fire without the use of the fire engines in close proximity like we typically do on a house fire," Chief Joseph Lindaman said. "Instead, we used fire brush trucks that are designed for fighting grass fires in remote areas.”

Further complicating matters was the driver was narrow, had overgrown weeds and had a creek running through it.

Firefighters were able to create a road that allowed trucks to get to the structure. 

“With the road in place by the Street Department and the arrival of the Fire Brush Trucks from the other agencies, we were able to establish a water shuttle operation," Chief Lindaman said. "When the Fire Brush Trucks needed water, they would drive out of the woods and be resupplied with water from the tanker.”

The walls of the structure, which were made of brick, were unstable and unsafe for firefighters. The Street Department used a backhoe to knock down the walls and create a firebreak between the house and woods.

The fire finally burned itself out after five hours. Units from Payne Springs, Seven Points and Mabank also responded.

“I would like to thank Payne Springs, Seven Points and Mabank Fire Departments for responding to our mutual aid request,” Chief Lindaman said. “I also want to thank the Gun Barrel City Street Department. Without their help, fighting the fire would have been much more difficult and dangerous.”

The house is a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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