Weekend fires burn 590 acres

High winds and dry conditions were primary factors when about 590 acres of Donley County land burned on Sunday, February 27.

According to First Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Powell of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, two different fires blazed that day.

“That was one of the worst days I’ve seen,” Powell said. “The winds on both fires were 30 to 40 sustained with gusts of 60 miles per hour. The relative humidity was around nine percent. The atmosphere was really dry.”

The first fire, reported at 2:50 p.m., was at the Crofoot Ranch (formerly known as the Bittercreek). The fire was a re-ignition of a prescribed burn held there on February 24.

It was contained within an hour with the help of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department, Texas Department of Transportation, Donley County motorgraders, Clarendon EMS, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office. It burned roughly 40 acres.

The second fire was reported at 6:18 p.m. at FM 203 and Co. Rd. 28 northeast of Hedley. It was under control by 12:30 a.m., but it flared back up again at 5:30 a.m. The fire was finally extinguished by 9:30 a.m. It burned a total of 550 acres from Co. Rd. 28 to Co. Rd. 31, which stretches three miles long. The cause of this fire is unknown.

Mutual aid came from Memphis VFD, Wellington VFD, Hedley VFD and Samnorwood VFD. Other responders included TxDOT, Donley County Sheriff’s Office, and Clarendon EMS.

The fires threatened no structures, and caused no injuries. The second fire posed a threat to some farm equipment, but none was damaged.

“People need to be cautious on days when wind is extremely high,” Powell said. “Make sure to avoid any kind of burning.”