Latest news with #MarbleFallsFire
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Last known missing person from Burnet County is Marble Falls area volunteer fire chief, sheriff says
MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The last person unaccounted for from this weekend's catastrophic flood in Burnet County is Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips, who was swept away while helping others get to safety. MAP: Where have flash flooding fatalities been confirmed in Texas? Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd told KXAN crews Tuesday morning that search and rescue efforts are ongoing for Phillips, whose last known location was near FM 1174 at Cow Creek. Boyd said search teams from numerous agencies are covering the ground and sky via helicopters and drones. He said 12 K-9s were also aiding in the search Tuesday. Phillips' vehicle and personal items were found early on in the search after floodwaters receded. Boyd said the area where Phillips was last seen has treacherous terrain, which has made the search even more difficult for teams. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 4 dead, 2 missing in Burnet County flooding; Volunteer fire chief still missing Phillips became the final missing person in Burnet County's search after a body was recovered Monday night, Boyd said. In total, Boyd said six people were reported missing after the flood, with five now recovered deceased. He said 62 people were rescued. He said the numerous agencies helping in search, rescue and recovery efforts are working around the clock to locate Phillips. Boyd said knowing a fellow first responder is still waiting to be found has added another layer of emotion to this search. 'It's difficult searching for anybody but when it's one of your own it makes it a little more difficult. Searching for the Chief is a little more difficult on us, but you know, we just do the job. That's what we do,' Boyd said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Awful photos show what happened after volunteer fire chief was swept away by floods
A heroic volunteer firefighter was seen being swept off a road while rushing to help flood victims in Texas - with a horrifying photo of his crushed car since emerging. Colleagues watched as Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips's emergency vehicle was swept away by floodwaters on Saturday as he responded to a call in Burnet County, near Austin. He is one of two people missing after his emergency vehicle was swept away by floodwaters as he responded to a call in Burnet County, near Austin. 'We had our deputies traveling the county, checking low-water spots as the rain was coming in, and we had three of our own deputies that were stranded on roadways – safe but stranded – and we watched unfortunately as his vehicle did go off the roadway,' Chief Deputy Alan Trevino told CNN. Hours later, Phillips' vehicle was found crushed beyond recognition and killed with dirt. He was not inside it, with the hunt for the first responder continuing Monday. Phillips is one of two people missing in the county; The other is a 17-year-old girl. Meanwhile the remains of three people were found in the area. They have not yet been publicly identified. It comes as more than 80 people have died in Central Texas and many more are still missing, including at least 10 girls from a summer camp. The emergency vehicle Phillips was driving in was found but he was not inside it Search teams are using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims in flash floods that have torn across central Texas since the at the start of the July Fourth weekend. At the center of the tragedy is the scenic Texas Hill Country, where volunteers and some families of the missing have searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so. But authorities in surrounding areas closer to Austin, the state capital, have also recovered victims from floodwaters. On Monday, rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain, high waters and snakes including water moccasins continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic. Governor Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon. He pledged to keep searching until 'everybody is found' from Friday's flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.
