Clarendon firemen protect four homes

Clarendon volunteer firemen have been kept busy lately and are credited with saving at least four homes in the last two weeks.

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched Sunday morning, January 27, to a grass fire near the intersection of FM 1260 and CR W. Fire Chief Jeremy Powell reports the blaze was the result of multiple fires started by a vehicle travelling north on FM 1260. Southwest winds quickly caused these fires to threaten three homes, Powell reported.

The Hedley Volunteer Fire Department was requested for mutual aid, as was Donley County Precinct 1, 2, 3, and 4 motorgraders. Two of the fires traveled more than a mile before being contained. Powell said no homes or outbuildings were lost but between 180 and 200 acres were burned.

Firemen had just come off another grass fire last Monday evening, January 21, and were still at the station when they were dispatched to the Mable Dean Wilson house at Bugbee Avenue and Sixth Street.

Powell said the family had been working on the home and been gone about 30 or 40 minutes when they came back and discovered the house was full of smoke.

Nearly the entire department responded, Powell said, and had the fire knocked down within five minutes of arriving.

No structural damage was done to the house, but there was smoke and heat damage throughout. Fire damage was contained to the kitchen area. Powell said the department could not determine the cause of the fire.

The department closed out 2018 after responding to 182 calls that totaled 4159.50 man hours. Thirty-four calls were in the City of Clarendon, 128 calls were outside the city limits in Donley County, and 20 calls were outside the county assisting neighboring departments. The CVFD has 26 active members.