God’s R.O.A.D. Crew Forms After Lightning Fire Displaces Families in Fort Worth’s 76104 Neighborhood.

God’s R.O.A.D. Crew Forms After Lightning Fire Displaces Families in Fort Worth’s 76104 Neighborhood. Yahoo Link on The Fire in Mississippi Avenue: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/local/tarrant-county/lightning-sparks-fires-tarrant-county-displacing-residents-forcing-nursing-home-evacuation/287-2ff3bace-fdb7-4b18-9263-aaad6468b9c2

FORT WORTH — A lightning strike during a powerful North Texas storm system Sunday evening sparked an apartment fire across from New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth’s historic 76104 neighborhood, displacing at least eight families and prompting a faith-based emergency response effort now known as God’s R.O.A.D. Crew.

The fire was one of at least six blazes reported across Tarrant County on May 24 as severe weather moved through the region with heavy rain and dangerous lightning. Authorities also reported a fire at a Watauga nursing and rehabilitation facility that forced a full evacuation. No injuries were reported in connection with the fires.

The apartment fire occurred directly across from New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church at 2864 Mississippi Avenue in southeast Fort Worth, a community long impacted by poverty, health disparities, and economic challenges.

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr. said the emergency quickly became more than a fire response.

“It became a ministry response,” Tatum said. “Families lost almost everything, but they did not lose their dignity, their faith, or their community.”

According to Tatum, Steve Abbott with the American Red Cross contacted him Sunday evening after assisting displaced residents and updating him on the growing emergency situation.

That phone call helped inspire the creation of God’s R.O.A.D. Crew — short for Responders Organized for Active Disasters — a volunteer-driven, faith-based disaster response initiative centered around compassionate care and community recovery.

On Wednesday evening, New Mount Rose hosted an emergency community meeting for affected residents, community leaders, churches, educators, and nonprofit organizations seeking to coordinate relief efforts and assess family needs.

LULAC Council 22308 President Aracely Ramos helped organize family needs assessments during the meeting as displaced residents listed immediate needs ranging from clothing and food to transportation and housing support.

Tatum said one moment from the meeting particularly stood out to him.

“One little girl asked if we had an extra Bible,” Tatum said. “Before she left, we gave her a brand-new Bible and several New Testaments for her family. That reminded us this response is about more than physical recovery. It’s also about spiritual hope.”

Additional support came from community members connected to Five Loaves and Two Fish, Fort Worth ISD, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas.

Organizers say the effort is also aligned with a broader national emergency preparedness partnership signed in December 2024 between the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The agreement was designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and equitable recovery efforts in underserved communities disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.

Tatum described God’s R.O.A.D. Crew as “faith in action.”

“This is the church becoming the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in real time,” he said.

Community members interested in donating food, clothing, furniture, gift cards, housing assistance, or other emergency recovery resources are encouraged to contact New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church.

For assistance or donations, contact Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr. at 817-966-7625 or email newmtrosembc@gmail.com. Spanish-speaking families may contact LULAC Council 22308 President Aracely Ramos at 817-231-2476.

Additional information is available at www.newmountrose.com.