"Texas Fire Chief Dies in Line of Duty Responding to Structure Fire"

Fritch, Texas volunteer fire chief Zeb Smith, who had been fighting the state's historic wildfires for over a week, died while responding to a structure fire unrelated to the wildfires. Smith, a dedicated public servant, was the first on the scene and tragically succumbed to his injuries despite emergency medical assistance. His death came as the wildfires burned over 1.1 million acres in Hutchinson County. Officials noted that Smith had not gotten much sleep while continuously fighting wildfires for nearly 10 days. Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later time.