Dateline: January 5, 2006

Wildfire burns 21,000 acres of rangeland

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Dry conditions and high winds fueled a New Year’s Day wildfire that scorched more than 21,000 acres of rangeland in Donley County.

Firefighters battled the inferno for approximately 26 hours before it was finally declared 90 percent contained at 3:30 Monday afternoon.

The fire started before 1:00 p.m. Sunday near the home of Doyle Littlefield on CR I between eight and nine miles north of Clarendon. Driven by 50- to 60-mph winds, the fire raced eastward, threatening the Chris Britten residence before heading to SH 70.

“In the ten minutes it took us to get there, the fire had already hit Hwy. 70,” said Jeremy Powel, First Fire Chief of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department. “It was moving fast.”

The fire jumped SH 70 and continued eastward. At 4:12 p.m., the Donley County Sheriff’s Office logged that the fire had reached FM 1260 and was still moving.

Although several homes were threatened during the fire, a single barn was the only structure destroyed by the blaze.

“We probably would have lost a lot of homes on 1260 if the wind hadn’t changed,” Powell said.

The fire burned on eastward and threatened the headquarters of the RO Ranch as local and area fire departments and county and state agencies worked to head off the blaze.

Maintainers and bulldozers cut barricades in the rough rangeland, and the work continued throughout the night and into the next day.

The Texas Forest Service estimated the fire consumed 21,350 acres; and Powell, who surveyed the area by helicopter, said the burned area was nine to ten miles wide and was within a 34-mile perimeter.

Those fighting the wildfire included fire departments from Clarendon, Hedley, Howardwick, Groom, Hoover, McLean, Shamrock, Memphis, Claude, Kelton, Wheeler, and Pantex.

Donley and Gray county maintainers were utilized, and the Texas Forest Service and Texas Department of Transportation crews and equipment from Donley and Hall counties provided critical assistance. Andy Wheatly also donated the services of his Finch Ranch helicopter.

Local landowners also helped haul water, and the Clarendon Firebelles brought food to an estimated 100 men fighting the fire.

The official cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday afternoon, and local fire officials are urging all residents to be wary as long as conditions stay dry.

“Everybody needs to be extremely careful because so many things can happen on a windy day,” Powell said. “All residents, even in town, need to make sure you have nothing combustible with 100 feet of your home. Grass and brush need to be cut back away from all houses.”