By BJ Austin, KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – "Federal" firefighting crews are breaking down their Incident Command Post at the Possum Kingdom fire, and moving to the larger Rock House fire near Marfa. The P-K fire is 90% contained, with a few hot spots remaining.
Joe Brewer, with the incident management team, says it's going to take Possum Kingdom a long time to recover.
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Brewer: It takes years to recover from an event like this: both the residents trying to rebuild and the eco-system trying to recover from the trauma that it received as well.
More than 126 thousand acres burned and 167 homes were destroyed.
This Week's Tornado Damage Worse in Van Zandt Co.
At least four tornados ripped thru half-a-dozen North Texas counties last night. National Weather Service forecaster Ted Ryan says the most serious damage was in southeast Van Zandt County: 100 structures damaged, and one serious injury reported.
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Ryan: There is a woman who was in a mobile home and the tornado completely destroyed the mobile home while she was inside. She was taken to the hospital. I believe she's in stable condition now. But, nevertheless, she has pretty substantial injuries.
Ryan says that tornado hit between Edom and Ben Wheeler, just south of Canton. He says it was on the ground for a long time, and was an EF-1, with winds up to 100 miles an hour.
Cop's death on domestic call leads to changes
A North Texas dispatcher has been fired and a 911 call taker has resigned over policy violations revealed after a police officer's death.
Arlington authorities say those violations did not cause Officer Jillian Michelle Smith's December death. She was taking a woman's assault report when the ex-boyfriend stormed in and began shooting. The officer died while trying to protect the woman's 11-year-old daughter, and the man then killed his ex-girlfriend before killing himself.
Arlington Fire Chief Don Crowson said Wednesday that the violations put officers' lives at risk. He said the two employees didn't relay information quickly and officers didn't know the suspect had returned to the apartment, although he was dead by the time they arrived.
The Arlington Fire Department oversees the city's 911 call center.
To Prison: Former Dallas HS Teacher On Child Porn Charges
A former Woodrow Wilson High School English teacher is going to federal prison for ten years on charges of child pornography.
Jon Leslie Lyons pleaded guilty last fall. He was sentenced today.
According to prosecutors, a Dallas I-S-D employee found child pornography on a school computer assigned to Lyons and notified police.
Police also found child porn on Lyon's home computer and iPhone.
Torn labrum puts Texas reliever O'Day on 60-day DL
The Texas Rangers have placed right-handed relief pitcher Darren O'Day on the 60-day disabled list for surgery to repair a partial tear in the labrum in his left hip.
The club purchases the contract of right-handed pitcher Ryan Tucker from AAA Round Rock to replace O'Day on the 25- and 40-man rosters.
O'Day was 0-1 with a 2.45 earned-run average in 7.1 innings in eight appearances this season. This is the first time the disabled-list assignment for the sidearmer.
The 24-year-old Tucker is 1-01 with a save, 10 strikeouts and a 4.09 earned run average in 11 innings in six relief appearances. Pacific Coast League batters had a .200 average against him this season. Texas acquired him from Florida on a waiver claim Oct. 6.
Dallas Fire Turned Into Double Murder
Dallas Firefighters answering a call at an apartment complex near Ferguson and LBJ early this morning found two bodies. Police say the two men were apparently murdered.
Investigators say a car belonging to one of the victims is missing. It is a 2002 silver Saturn, License # 5 CV DN. Detectives are asking anyone who sees this car to call police.
Identities of the men, ages 59 and 61, are not being released at this time.