Authorities investigating fire
on April 29, 2025
Wise County officials on Wednesday formally confirmed the identity of the victim after a structure fire in Decatur Tuesday night.
The fire was reported at 7:08 p.m. in the 600 block of County Road 3051. The large, one-story home was engulfed in flames as Wise County EMS and Decatur Fire Department crews arrived on scene. Several other fire departments responded to provide mutual aid to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
“Wise County EMS Rescue-1 and Decatur Fire Department arrived on scene approximately seven minutes [after the inital 911 call] and obeserved a single-family residence heavily involved in fire,” Wise County Fire Marshal Jeff Doughty said in a press release on Wednesday. “They immediately started to extinguish the fire and were notified that a victime may still be inside the residence.”
According to Doughty’s press release, the body of rodeo hall of famer Roy Dale Cooper, 69, was found inside the residence at approximately 7:30 p.m. following the fire. Wise County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Jan Morrow pronounced Cooper deceased and his body was sent to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office.
At around 10:45 p.m., the Tarrant County Arson Task Force arrived on scene to assist in the investigation.
“The Wise County Fire Marshal’s Office, Tarrant County Fire and Arson Investigators Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Rangers are investigating the origin and cause of the fire and related death,” Doughty said in the Wednesday press release. “This is an ongoing investigation.”
While firefighters did not make entry into the home, Wise County EMS Chief Randall Preuninger said they were initially able to determine the death of Cooper due to reports from family members and the vehicles present.
“They pulled up to the main house, which was completely involved and then pulled around to the second house, protecting exposure behind there,” he said. “Then, at that point, they were able to determine a fatality.”
Firefighters and investigators work the scene of a fatal fire Tuesday night. The home, registered to Roy and Sharon Cooper, was destroyed in the fire. AUSTIN JACKSON | WCMESSENGER
No additional people were injured in the fire, Preuninger confirmed.
According to Doughty, Decatur Fire Department, Wise County EMS, New Fairview Fire Rescue, Greenwood-Slidell Fire Volunteer Fire Department, Wise County ESD No. 1 and Wise County ESD No. 3 all responded to the scene.
