Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department details March square fire response, countywide coverage

Countywide coverage built on volunteers

Deputy Chief Bobby Buster told the Gatesville Lions Club that the Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department answers calls across about 247 square miles, covering Gatesville, Coryell City, Evant and other nearby areas with 36 volunteer firefighters. That scale matters because the department is not just a downtown service, it is a countywide safety net that has been working in one form or another for more than 142 years.

The department’s history places its official organization on February 6, 1884, after earlier records were destroyed in a fire. Its first public fire house, the Engine House, followed in 1885, a reminder that fire protection has long been part of Gatesville’s civic identity. The department’s current city description says its work includes fire suppression, emergency response, rescue support, public education and emergency preparedness.

What the March square fire revealed

The downtown fire that drew Buster’s detailed account was first reported at about 6:50 p.m. on March 16, 2026, at 116 South 6th Street on the southwest corner of the Coryell County Courthouse square. City documents say crews worked through the next 28 hours as the fire spread rapidly, turning a single incident into a prolonged emergency in the center of town.

Buster said the department used 1.6 million gallons of water during the response, a staggering number that shows the scale of the effort required to hold the fire in check. He told the Lions Club that once flames were coming out of the windows, crews knew the structure could not be saved, but he praised the response plan already in place and the coordination among agencies on scene.

There is also a key detail in the fire’s origin that matters for public accountability. Buster said investigators ruled the blaze an electrical fire that began on the second floor, while the State Fire Marshal’s Office later said investigators concluded the fire originated in the Gatesville Messenger building rather than the bail bond building where smoke was first visible. The state office ruled out criminal intent, but said the exact cause remains under investigation.

Mutual aid turned a local fire into a regional response

The fire response was not handled by Gatesville alone. City documents say it was supported by dozens of other fire departments, and that mutual aid included crews from Copperas Cove. That kind of regional backup is what keeps a local department with 36 volunteers from being overwhelmed when a historic downtown block ignites and keeps burning for more than a day.

The emergency scene also required law enforcement and traffic control, not just hoses and ladders. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office and Gatesville ISD Police handled traffic and scene control while firefighters worked the fire and protected surrounding properties. Three firefighters were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, underscoring that even a successful containment effort can take a physical toll on the people who respond.

County government then moved quickly on the formal emergency side. Coryell County Judge Roger A. Miller signed an emergency disaster declaration on March 17, 2026, and the county later extended it on March 24 for 35 days. Officials said the declaration opened the door to state assistance, recovery crews and additional emergency operations, which is the kind of administrative step residents may never see but often rely on when a downtown disaster spills far beyond a single block.

The fire stayed on one block, but the disruption did not

Gatesville City Manager Brad Hunt said the fire was contained to the block where it started, preventing it from spreading farther into downtown. That containment mattered, but it did not eliminate the danger left behind. Officials said two remaining walls were unstable, and one of them faced U.S. Highway 84, forcing a temporary closure of the route through downtown until safety work could be completed.

The city later said contractors fenced off the area while insurance claims and demolition are handled. It also said it is helping affected property owners access resources through the Texas Division of Emergency Management, a practical step that connects the immediate fire response to the longer recovery process that follows after a commercial and historic loss. For downtown businesses, property owners and anyone who uses the square, the story shifted from flames to cleanup, access and rebuilding almost as soon as the fire was out.

Why the historic district designation raised the stakes

The loss landed harder because downtown Gatesville had just been recognized as a National Register Historic District. The City of Gatesville announced that designation on February 5, 2026, after a 2025 nomination submitted to the Texas Historical Commission and the National Park Service.

That means the fire damaged a newly recognized historic district, not just a row of old buildings. For preservation advocates, merchants and longtime residents, the timing adds another layer of loss because the square had only recently received formal acknowledgment of its historic value before the blaze tore through part of it.

A snapshot of civic life at the same meeting

The Lions Club meeting that brought Buster to the podium also showed how much local service in Gatesville depends on civic organizations that still raise money and welcome new members. Club members raised nearly $2,000 in a recent mop-and-broom sale, and Michelle Flino was inducted into the club.

That mix of fundraising, volunteer service and emergency response is part of Coryell County’s operating reality. The March square fire made that plain: when a fire erupts in the center of Gatesville, the response depends on volunteer firefighters, county officials, state support, mutual aid and local civic groups all doing their part at the same time.