An inferno earlier this month killed three people and sparked criticism one volunteer department didn’t do enough to try to save lives.
GREENVILLE, Texas — Hunt County will examine whether it needs to make changes to its fire service following a deadly inferno that killed three people and sparked complaints the volunteer fire department in charge of the scene did not do enough to try to save them.
“We know we have to do something to address our volunteer fire departments,” said County Judge Bobby Stovall. “We want to provide the best service to our residents.”
Stovall pushed back strongly on criticism of the Quinlan Volunteer Fire Department following a deadly house fire in unincorporated Hunt County earlier this month that killed three people.
“All the negative comments are irresponsible,” he said, adding commissioners would review the results of an ongoing investigation into the fire.
Multiple firefighters who responded to the fire in the early morning hours of March 5 have said the leaders with the Quinlan department, which managed the scene, prevented them from going inside to potentially rescue survivors.
“I think that at least two of them could’ve had a chance to be saved,” Tawokoni South Fire Chief David Rutherford, one of the first firefighters on the scene that night, told WFAA. “I was willing to go in myself.”
At Tuesday Commissioners Court meeting, another firefighter said Quinlan firefighters did not act adequately.
“Our citizens deserve better. Our citizens do not deserve underfunded, undertrained, lazy and overly safe fire departments,” said Zane Tinsley. “We don’t accomplish safety by deciding citizen’s fate from the front yard.”
The Quinlan chief told WFAA he could not comment, citing the ongoing investigation by the fire marshal.
On Tuesday, commissioners agreed to speak to other counties about how they handle fire response and potentially consider hiring a consultant to evaluate Hunt County’s procedures.
“The county is growing so much that we’ve got to do something,” said commissioner David Monroe. “Let’s look at hiring an outside consultant that comes in that looks at the whole situation evaluates it from the fire marshal’s office all the way down to the volunteers.”
Hunt County is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas, nearly a 20% population increase since 2020. It has 13 mostly volunteer departments responding to fires across the county.
“We’re going to look at making sure there’s not something better for our citizens,” said Stovall.
The fire at the corner of North Shore and Bent Tree Roads killed Johnny Bedwell and Ronnie Fowler, the medical examiner’s office said. Brent Bedwell was the third and final victim of the blaze, said his mother, Julie Bedwell.
“Nobody’s given me answers why, why they didn’t go in,” said Bedwell. “I never thought I would have to bury my child.”
