GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Coryell County has issued a local disaster declaration after a fire late Monday destroyed several historic buildings in downtown Gatesville, leaving structures unstable and straining local resources.
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The fire reportedly broke out from a bail bonds building, Monday night on the west side of the square. Hours later, smoke still lingered over downtown as workers sifted through the rubble.
Crews demolished the Leaird Furniture Store after determining it was likely to collapse on its own. Before that, the Gatesville Messenger building was the first to fall, taking a nearby power line with it.
City Manager Brad Hunt said the response involved coordination across multiple agencies.
"They've coordinated between the fire department, the volunteer fire department, the police department and the state fire marshal's office, who are all actively investigating right now," Hunt said.
Hunt said three firefighters were injured in the incident.
"We had minimal injuries to firefighters, no civilians or citizens hurt. That's the main thing for us, and it was contained to that block, which is hard to say because that was a lot of loss, but it definitely could have been worse," Hunt said.
Several businesses remain closed, and the Coryell County Courthouse is also shut down without power on Tuesday. Much of the area and many of the roads around it remain closed, and drivers in the area may be detoured.
The damage is particularly painful given the timing. The fire came less than 2 months after downtown Gatesville was added to the National Register of Historic Districts.
Diane Barnett with Cowboy Real Estate works across the street from the damage. She said her building lost power intermittently, and she watched anxiously as the fire spread.
"My building across the street, we were very concerned," Barnett said.
"We watched the wind, we paid attention to the weather. We knew that there was nothing we could do but pray," Barnett said.
Barnett said her biggest concern now is for neighboring shops that depend on foot traffic.
"They thrive on patrons coming to the businesses," Barnett said.
She said the loss of the historic buildings hit the community hard.
"It's heartbreaking. Everyone was so excited," Barnett said.
Hunt echoed that sentiment.
"I do know that it impacts the community greatly because these are landmarks. These are historic places," Hunt said.
The total cost of the damage is still unknown. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
25 News has been on the scene all day and will continue to update this story as new information becomes available.
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