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DALLAS — A wildfire sweeping across about 20,000 acres in North Texas killed a firefighter Friday, forced hundreds of evacuations — including the entire town of Gorman — and destroyed at least 30 homes, state officials said.
The fire was burning in a mostly rural area 120 miles west of Dallas, though the region also has expensive lake homes and is a popular recreation spot. The blaze was among several charring tens of thousands of acres across the state.
Volunteer firefighter Gregory M. Simmons, 51, died while battling the blaze Friday afternoon near Eastland.
“Apparently he was overcome by smoke, fell in a ditch and was consumed” by the fire, said Justice of the Peace James King, who pronounced Simmons dead at the scene.
