A large grass fire in the unincorporated Sand Branch area of Dallas County prompted a mutual air fire response from numerous departments on Saturday evening and is still ongoing. Dallas County Sheriff’s Department initially put out a fire alert around 10 p.m., warning residents of a large fire in the 200 block of Burns Dr. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to a mutual aid request to assist with the grass fire at 10:29 p.m. Upon arrival, a DFR Battalion Chief reported out with a large grass fire covering approximately 10 acres of land, which also involved two structures. DFR said suppression and containment efforts went on throughout the entire night, into the morning, and are still active this afternoon. Efforts are focused on an area containing multiple brush, trash and debris piles. An excavator is being used to dig through the piles to expose the hot spots burning within them, while DFR personnel use aerial ladders and hand lines to extinguish the flames as they are exposed, according to DFR. DFR has 5 engines, 2 trucks, 1 booster, a brush truck and a rescue, among other support personnel, on location. 16 engines, 5 trucks, 4 boosters, 3 brush trucks and 3 rescues, as well as other support personnel, have been dispatched to the incident cumulatively. Terrell Volunteer Fire Department said responding fire departments included Dallas County, Dallas, Combine, Crandall, Kaufman, Bristol, Wilmer, Seagoville, Ovilla, and a few others. James Talarico released a statement on the Sand Branch Fire: “For too long, Sand Branch has been denied basic infrastructure to keep its residents safe and healthy. The community has no running water, no sewer system, and no fire hydrants — so when last night’s fire broke out, firefighters were forced to haul water into the community. We must take action to deliver necessary water infrastructure before another tragedy — and that’s the fight I’ll take to Washington. I’m grateful for the brave firefighters and first responders who acted quickly to protect the community. It’s time for politicians to follow their lead.” There have been no reported injuries as a result of the fire. Officials are still working to learn the cause of the original fire. There is also no estimated time for when the fire will be extinguished. DFR said this is expected to be an extended operation. ...read more read less