Brindlee Mountain Donates Fire Truck to Department Devastated by Texas Wildfires

The donation is part of the Extreme Makeover episode benefiting the Heart of the Pines VFD

Bastrop County, Texas--Labor Day Weekend in Southern Texas is usually marked by the season’s final trip to the lake and the kick-off of football season. In 2011, however, the weekend was instead marked by the largest wildfire ever in state of Texas.

The Bastrop Complex Fire burned 34,356 acres, destroying 1,645 homes as well as a Heart of the Pines Volunteer Fire Department substation. Two people died in the blaze, which was finally extinguished on Oct. 10, 36 days after it started.

Heart of the Pines VFD, in Smithville, Texas, provides fire protection to one of the hardest hit areas of the fire. Many of the department’s firefighters lost their homes while they were out fighting the same fire to protect their neighbors.

One of those homes destroyed was that of volunteer firefighter Missy Zdroj, who lived adjacent to a Heart of Pines substation. The Zdroj family received quite a surprise in December as ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition surprised them by sending them on a week-long vacation while they built a new home for them.

The show also arranged to renovate the fire station, not only rebuilding from the fire damage, but adding another bay. The final surprise: a new brush truck to go in the bay, donated by Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus.

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition contacted Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus in December about the possibility of donating a brush truck. When Brindlee’s founder and president, James Wessel, heard the story, he realized that the Heart of the Pines Fire Department was located only about five miles from his father-in-law’s homesite, which had been destroyed in the same fire.

“With the opportunity to help the local fire service Bastrop County in such a practical way, we were glad for the opportunity to participate,” Wessel says.

The truck was given to the Heart of the Pines VFD on Dec. 14. Brindlee personnel were on hand as well to witness the reveal, which was received with surprise and gratitude by the department members.

“Receiving the truck was a total shock to us,” says Chief Nathan Decker. “We only had two brush trucks; one was burned over and the other on its last legs. Plus the fact this has foam, a real pump, and seats five people … the truck is just a true blessing for our fire department.”

Brindlee Mountain is glad to be able to support the volunteers from Heart of the Pines VFD, who have given so much to their community not just in this recent fire, but during their many years of service.

The episode of Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition will be airing in December 2012 as the Christmas special. You can learn more about Brindlee Mountain Fire at www.firetruckmall.com.