Possum Kingdom, a community built around a lake in Palo Pinto county west of Fort Worth.  When I was a kid we had a lake house there, but that was back before anyone knew what it was really.  Today, it’s a thriving community full of people who live there full-time, vacation there some of the time, or just visit from out of town.  Or at least it was.  Wildfires are consuming the area at alarming speeds.  So far over 150,000 acres have been scorched and there’s no sign of stopping – the winds carry it farther and faster, the rains seem to fall too far east, and thanks to this drought, the brush is so dry we literally have exploding cedar trees.

Firefighters from all over are coming in to try and put a stop to this blaze.  We’re hoping for a slight shift in the weather to offer some more favorable conditions, but we know we cannot expect anything – after all, this is Texas in the spring!  The fire has taken the life of volunteer firefighter Greg Simmons,51, of Eastland Fire Department who leaves behind a wife and two daughters; he was struck by a car while attempting to escape his engine that caught fire.  160 homes have been destroyed, the entire city of Palo Pinto (including the prison) was evacuated.

These brave men and women are growing weary and running out of supplies.  That’s where you come in and, no, you don’t need to suit up and go fight the flames yourself.  I mean, if you want to, that’s your prerogative but leave me out of it.  All I want is your time, your money, or both.

 

TODAY, Friday, April 22the DFW radio station 820AM/96.7FM WBAP will be broadcasting from Toyota of Fort Worth.  They’ll be there until around 11am, the Mark Davis Show will air from a location that you’re welcome to visit.  They’re teaming up with Garland-based Guns & Hoses Foundation of North Texas to raise money for the Simmons family, as well as those firefighters injured in their efforts to put out this nasty fire.  Money will also go to replenish supplies.

If you want to swing by, meet some local “celebrities”, and donate a few bucks, please do.  The dealership is at 820 and Camp Bowie West, so it’s on the west side of Fort Worth.  If you’re not going to be in the area but want to contribute to the cause, click here for the Guns & Hoses Donation Page.

Money’s tight right now, I get that; SO if you don’t have spare change or a wad of cash laying around, do me a favor and send a tweet, post a Facebook update, send an email with this blog post’s link – use the FREE internet to spread the word.  I don’t ask favors often, but this one is personal and I’m really asking you to help.  Yes, you.  Not the reader before you or the next one to come along – YOU.

Ashley, why is it personal?  You said you don’t have a house there anymore.  What’s the deal?

In August 2007, my brother was serving as a volunteer firefighter for Parkside 45 in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester; he’d been volunteering at various departments since he was 16, so this wasn’t his first day by any stretch.  The Ladder responded to a structure fire, he went inside to start hosing the place down when the floors above him crashed down.  He was trapped under 6 feet of debris and suffered 3rd degree burns over most of his body BUT HE SURVIVED.  He fought for his life in that fire and for months in a hospital burn unit.  Parkside 45, the Chester community, and groups all around the country came to his aid financially and, those that couldn’t give offered love and support.

His right leg and left arm had to be amputated, but he is living independently thanks to an incredible fighting spirit, a motorized knee attached to a prosthetic leg, and has even been approved for a prosthetic arm that is surgically connected to the nerves so that when he thinks, it MOVES!  (I think that is some amazing technology right there.)  He is re-enrolled in school and pursuing his dream of becoming a nurse.  He doesn’t know how much I look up to him, love and respect him – he is absolutely a hero and role model for us all.

I’ve seen the power of a community rallying around the firefighting community and I know Dallas-Fort Worth has what it takes to come to the aid of the Simmons family.  Don’t let me down, y’all.

Donate. Tweet. Facebook. Text. Email. All of the above.  |  Not acting shouldn’t be an option.

Tags: Fundraiser, Greg Simmons, Guns and Hoses, Mark Davis, Possum Kingdom, Texas fire, Toyota of Fort Worth, WBAP, wildfire

This entry was posted on Friday, April 22nd, 2011 at 8:42 am and is filed under Other Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.