Wildfire hero: Storm chaser saves elderly woman during historic wildfire

HUTCHINSON COUNTY, Texas (KVII) — From chasing storms to saving lives, Blake Brown, an extreme weather videographer, found himself in a new role during the largest wildfire in state history.

"I mean within seconds the flames weren't there to just they were completely covering the road right in front of the vehicle," Brown said, recalling the intensity of the wildfire.

With over 14 years of experience as a storm chaser, Brown said last year's wildfires left a lasting impression.

"I just had a horrible gut feeling knowing that Fritch probably wasn't going to look the same as it did the day before," he said.

As Brown entered Fritch, he witnessed residents evacuating.

"I had just happened to look over and seen an elderly lady and she was by herself and she was trying to load stuff into her car and I noticed the fence was on fire on the backside of their house," he said. "So I kind of at that moment realized this is horrible, this is not good."

In a swift decision, Brown transformed from a storm chaser to a good Samaritan.

"I just kind of went into a mode that I need to start helping and I just kind of put all of the camera equipment down and we pulled into the driveway and ran up to the middle," he said. "I was like 'You need to get out of here I don't know if you realize but your backyard is on fire.' And she had no idea the fire was already there, it happened so quick."

Brown emphasized the importance of vigilance as wildfire season begins.

"Keep your grass short, keep your stuff off the house, try to trim the branches off the house if you got some laying on the house and just pay attention," he advised.