HUTTO – A local firefighter who lost his home in the Aug. 8 Cedar Park fire is getting help from colleagues and the community. The Hutto Professional Firefighters Foundation has started a fundraising campaign to support Ruben Telles, who has been a fire engine driver with Hutto Fire Rescue since April 2020.
“I’ve seen so much support, it’s amazing,” Telles said. “I knew the Hutto community was tight-knit but they’ve really shown up for me and Nicole. It’s hard not to be positive with all this support.”
The apartment Telles lived in with his girlfriend Nicole Rocha is one of 38 units destroyed by the 37-acre wildfire. The blaze completely consumed one building and damaged two others in the Bexley at Silverado apartment complex, 13820 W. Parmer Lane.
Telles was at work in Hutto when the fire started just after 6 p.m. His girlfriend Nicole Rocha was able to evacuate their apartment taking only their dog. The couple lost everything else. Their apartment was in the building that was destroyed.
“Nicole only had a few seconds and fortunately she was able to think quickly and get out,” said Telles.
In light of his experience, the firefighter recommends everyone have a go-bag packed with critical documents and supplies because you never know when something like this can occur. “I’ve been looking into getting a fire-safe briefcase for important papers, something you can just pick up and go. That would have been helpful,” Telles said.
“This is a danger that has always been present,” said Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin. “With the heat we’ve had and the wind we’ve had, it’s worse than it ever has been this summer, and likely to be worse in the future. So it’s really important that every community continues to work on ways to prevent fire and mitigate the risk from it.”
According to a Cedar Park spokesperson, over 150 firefighters from more than 20 agencies across Travis and Williamson counties responded to the blaze. Hutto Fire Rescue also answered the call for aid, but Telles was released from duty when it was determined to affect his home.
Fire Chief James Mallinger said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it started in a field behind the apartment complex and the wind drove it toward the building where it ignited trees and traveled from the trees to the apartment complex.
The wildfire was reported as 100% contained Aug. 10. Mallinger said it was the largest fire in Cedar Park since 2011.
Two first-responders suffered minor injuries but no human lives were lost. Firefighters were able to help evacuate residents from all areas likely to be in the fire’s path. There have been some reports of pets perishing because their owners were not home when the fire started.
The GoFundMe.com site set up by Hutto Professional Firefighters Foundation for Telles had raised $7,415 of its $10,000 goal as of Aug. 17. Almost 100 people had donated to the fund.
The city of Cedar Park is also raising funds to help those displaced by the fire. Working with Central Texas Community Foundation (ctxcf. networkforgood.com) they had raised $33,639 of their $100,000 goal as of Aug. 17.
