Fire destroys Hedley home

An early morning fire totally consumed the home of the Vernon Patton family in Hedley this weekend, and officials are not sure what caused the blaze.

Clarendon Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said the 911 call came in at 4:29 a.m. on Sunday, January 27, and he believes the call was made by a traveler on US 287 who saw the home, which is located on the south side of the highway as it enters Hedley from the west.

The Patton family was out of town at the time of the fire and did not learn of the fire until hours later. No injuries were reported.

A Donley County deputy was the first on the scene at 4:43 and reported the home to be fully involved.

The Hedley Volunteer Fire Department arrived at 4:48 and Clarendon firemen were on the scene by 4:52.

When Clarendon arrived, the house was already determined to be a total loss and had essentially burned down, Powell said.

Firemen worked to keep the fire contained. Clarendon units left the scene at 6:30, and Hedley remained on the scene throughout the day.

Powell said the State Fire Marshall’s office investigated the scene Tuesday morning and was unable to determine a cause of the blaze.

The Patton family is staying in a travel trailer nearby, he said.