TV sparks late night house fire

A television set is being blamed for a late night fire that damaged a Clarendon woman’s home last Thursday, December 29.

Brenda McConnell said she and her two granddaughters had been to the high school basketball tournament in Canadian when they came home to her residence at 602 E. Barcus and could smell something burning.

“We opened the door, and the smoke just boiled out on us,” Mc Connell said. “We got to it right in time though. We called the fire department, and they were there in about five minutes.”

Clarendon Fire Marshal Jeremy Powell said the call came in at 11:49 p.m., and the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department had the blaze extinguished in about ten minutes. Clarendon firefighters rescued four dogs from the home while battling the fire.

Also dispatched were the Associated Ambulance Authority and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office.

Powell said the fire started in the television set, and fire damage was contained to one room. The remainder of the home had light to moderate heat and smoke damage.

McConnell said the fire burned the floor and burned into the wall where the TV was plugged in.

“We were told that within ten minutes the fire would have burned into the attic and gotten air to spread,” McConnell said.

Everything in the house smells of smoke, McConnell said.

There was no insurance on the home. McConnell said she is currently living with Jeremy and Gigi Martinez until she can find a place to stay. Friends are helping McConnell get her life back together, and the Red Cross is helping also.

A fund for McConnell has been set up at Herring Bank by the Martin Baptist Church.