Walker County families return home after evacuating during Game Preserve wildfire
Walker County wildfire: Family returns home
The wildfire in Walker County has now burned more than 4,000 acres and is now 60 percent contained. Texas A&M Forest Service says all road ways are now open and evacuations are lifted. FOX 26's Shelby Rose spoke with a family who just returned home after being forced out as the fire got closer.
WALKER COUNTY, Texas - Neighbors in the Cedar Ridge subdivision in Walker County are breathing a sigh of relief as they return to their homes after frantically leaving Friday night as the Game Preserve Fire was getting close and fast.
"They told us it was moving at a pace of a football field per minute," said Dena Waller-Pollis.
She says she saw the fire from the distance earlier in the evening Friday, keeping a close eye as she packed up her belongings, adding, "Just about the time we saw the red-hot embers we saw the calvary coming down the road, and we said okay, we gotta get out."
RELATED: Walker Co. evacuations lifted with wildfire at 4,426 acres, 60% containment
For the next day and a half, they waited as the fire grew bigger and bigger, wondering if their house was still standing.
Waller-Pollis said it was, "Shocking and unbelievable. A lot of us were saying I cannot believe this is happening."
The best news possible came Sunday morning. They were given an all-clear for them to go back home.
"We have a group text thread here, and we were all like oh my gosh, let’s go! We were celebrating," she said. "We could hear each other from wherever we were just yelling yes, let’s go. We were burning rubber to get here.",
As of Sunday afternoon, the fire had spread to an estimated 4,426 acres with 60 percent containment. Firefighters from all over the state including across the country such as Florida and Tennessee have shown up to help.
Waller-Pollis couldn't be more grateful for their sacrifice.
"There are so many people, strangers, just working in horrible conditions, so hot and dangerous conditions just to protect my property. And I know it’s not my property only, but they’re strangers to me. It’s humbling. It makes you feel small in a very good way."