Grass fire consumes trailer house

A Monday grass fire near Hedley destroyed an abandoned trailer house and other structures west of Hedley.

Clarendon Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said the grass fire was reported east of County Road 23 at 4:20 p.m. The blaze started off of US 287 and moved north northeast.

The fire was stopped at the railroad tracks, but the trailer house and some out buildings were lost, Powell reported. The BNSF railway was also shut down for a short time.

Hedley, Clarendon, and Memphis volunteer fire departments responded along with Donley County motor graders from precincts 1, 3, and 4. Donley and Hall county sheriff’s departments and DPS Troopers provided traffic control, and the Associated Ambulance Authority also responded.

Local and area volunteer firemen have been kept extremely busy lately as persistent drought, low humidity, and high winds have created critically dangerous conditions for wildfires.

In addition to responding to fires near Samnorwood and Wellington in the last week, Clarendon firemen were back in the Ashtola area last Wednesday, April 11, just one day after a fire in that community burned 10-15 acres and destroyed the 1930s era school building there.

Powell said the Wednesday fire started about 3:20 p.m. in the median of US 287 before it moved north and east and consumed 142 acres. Three homes were threatened by the second Ashtola fire, but none were lost.  Traffic on the railroad and US 287 was closed for a short time.

Assisting Clarendon firemen with the blaze were departments from Hedley, Howardwick, and Memphis as well as county motor graders, local EMS, TxDOT, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office.

Even with rain in this week’s forecast, fire conditions remain exceedingly high in much of the Panhandle and South Plains, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

With elevated fire danger, caution should be used with any outdoor activity that may cause a spark. It only takes one spark to start a wildfire. Some tips to keep in mind are these:

• Postpone outdoor burning until conditions improve.
• Avoid parking and idling in tall, dry grass. Catalytic converters can get hot enough to ignite the grass under a vehicle.
• Avoid setting hot chainsaws or other hot, gas-powered equipment in dry grass.

Wildfires burning in grass can spread and grow extremely fast. It is important that if you spot a wildfire you report it immediately to local authorities. A quick response can help save lives and property.