Grass fire threatens a dozen homes

Danie M. Huffman

wdreporter2@yahoo.com

An undetermined cause was ruled Thursday after nearly 100 firefighters and emergency response personnel answered a call for a grass fire on Zion Hill Loop.

Nearly 100 acres were destroyed as a dozen homes were threatened and a car was destroyed by flames.

The original call came in as a smoke investigation for Central Community Volunteer Fire Department on Old Agnes Road and Highway 51 North.

The fire was actually in Peaster’s district and was spotted by two Tri-County electricians working in the area.

“I saw the smoke and called it in,” said Tri-County worker Jeremy Choate.

Choate grabbed a homeowner’s water hose and began stomping out the flames with his co-worker, Stoney Johnson.

Zion Hill Loop resident Earline Lawrence said she was inside her home when her dog, “Rusty,” barked to alert her that something was wrong.

As she looked outside, she could see her house was completely surrounded by flames.

The Tri-County workers helped Lawrence to the street and led Rusty to safety.

More than 17 fire departments and agencies responded to the scene Thursday afternoon including Peaster, Central, Weatherford, Hudson Oaks, Poolville, Greenwood, Adell-Whit, the Texas Forest Service, Parker County Emergency Service District No. 1, Cool-Garner, Springtown, Parker County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Parker County Environmental Team, the Heavy Equipment Assistance Team (HEAT) from Precinct 2 and 3, Carson Helicopters from Mineral Wells and Weatherford College Fire Academy students.

Smoke was so dense it made it difficult for firefighters to drive through the area. Residents were cut off from entering their homes.

Both ends of Zion Hill Loop were shut down to through traffic and residents for several hours as Peaster School buses were delayed about 45 minutes from their regular student drop-off times.

A fixed-wing aircraft was called to the scene as a spotter for a heli-tanker, which siphoned water from a nearby five-acre lake to drop on a line of fire threatening to reach heavy brush where fire trucks could not enter.

Firefighters battled for hours as flames jumped the road in several areas, threatening additional farms and homes.

HEAT operators used Caterpillars and dozers to dig trench lines as fire breaks helping firefighters cut through the various lines of fire.

Three additional fires were also reported Thursday.

Firefighters were called from the Zion Hill area to answer calls in Brock on Grindstone Road, where another grass fire threatened homes.

Two other fires in Reno and on Union Lane demanded firefighters’ attention.

Parker County Fire Marshal Shawn Scott said only a few trucks remained to respond if any more fires let loose.

“They’re all on stand-by in case we have any more fires break out,” Scott said. “If it wasn’t for the helicopters, we’d still be chasing this fire. The firefighters did a fabulous job saving every home. We were lucky.”

Several elderly and disabled residents were escorted from their homes along with a teen, who had no way out of the area.

Weatherford Fire Lt. Mike Ingram personally drove to the homes to make sure the residents were taken to safety.

The American Red Cross responded to the scene to bring firefighters food and water at the command center and tanker fill-up station.

Traffic resumed around 3:30 p.m. when the fire was about 90 percent contained. Around 4 p.m., firefighters began mopping up hot spots left from the fire.

Fire crews remained on scene until after 5 p.m.

Scott said Peaster firefighters would patrol the area throughout the evening to make sure no rekindles were spotted.

“The only thing I’m worried about is the wind shift at dark,” Scott said. “I can’t warn residents enough about the severe fire dangers we’re presently experiencing. Firefighters’ lives are on the line, and we still get calls daily regarding homeowners who are burning trash and brush during the burn ban and extreme fire conditions. Common sense is no longer common when we experience days like this.”

Scott said even with rain in the forecast over the next few days, fires are still a concern for county officials.

“They may think the fire danger will be alleviated by the rain, but it won’t,” Scott said. “The burn ban will more than likely remain in effect until spring when things green up.”