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One law enforcement official has died and at least 50 homes were destroyed following a string of fires that spread through more than 45,000 acres in West Texas, officials confirmed Friday (March 18) via NBC News.
The casualty was identified as Sgt. Barbara Finley of the Eastland County Sheriff's Office, who was evacuating residents in the town of Carbon and was on her way to check on an elderly neighbor in the area when her vehicle ran off the road and was engulfed in flames.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags in Eastland County to be at half mast in honor of the nearly 20-year veteran and gave a member of Finley's family a flag flown over the state Capitol on Friday, stating, "We have great appreciation for her service."
The Eastland Complex Fire was comprised of four different fires - the Kidd, Wheat Field, Oak Mott and Walling fires -- to total 45,383 acres burned and only 15% of it was contained as of Friday, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group confirmed via NBC News.
The Walling fire initially started on Wednesday (March 16), followed by the Kidd, Wheat Field and Oak Mott fires, which all began on Thursday (March 17).
Evacuations took place in Eastland County -- located about 130 miles west of Dallas -- and neighboring areas, such as the entire city of Gorman, in response to the fires, which applied to about 475 homes, federal officials confirmed in Friday's update.