WISE COUNTY, Texas — Newly published video shows sheriff’s deputies fighting through flames, smoke and an explosion to pull a disoriented man from a burning car in a rural area near Lake Bridgeport.
WFAA reported Wednesday that the rescue unfolded after the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies were called to a vehicle fire in the woods. Deputies found the man inside the burning car and repeatedly urged him to get out as they tried to pull him free.
Explosion does not stop the rescue
WFAA’s video shows the deputies working at the vehicle before a small explosion knocks them back. The station reported that one deputy was thrown into a thicket and had to move through smoke to return to safety.
The deputies kept working. After several minutes, they pulled the man from the car and dragged him far enough away for other first responders to take over.
Driver airlifted; deputies treated
Paramedics airlifted the driver to a hospital with severe burns, WFAA reported. Two deputies were treated for smoke inhalation.
An initial WFAA video report published Aug. 11 showed the rescue. A follow-up report published Aug. 12 added the location near the northeast side of Lake Bridgeport, the explosion and the medical outcomes reported by the station.
ThinBlueNews is not identifying the rescued man or speculating about why he appeared disoriented. Readers can find more source-backed service stories in our sheriff news, police hero stories and positive police news sections.
Sources and visual disclosure
- WFAA — “Wise County deputies fight through triple-digit heat, explosion to rescue man from burning vehicle,” published Aug. 12, 2026.
- WFAA video — “New video shows deputies pull disoriented man from burning car in Wise County,” published Aug. 11, 2026.
- WFAA video — “North Texas officer speaks on rescuing man from burning car,” published Aug. 12, 2026.
Visual note: WFAA’s reports include incident video, but no reusable license was established. ThinBlueNews did not copy those pixels. The featured image is an original editorial card, not an incident photograph or video frame.
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