Dateline: February 16, 2006

Wildfire threatens houses near Greenbelt

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A Friday evening blaze destroyed 30 to 40 acres of grass and threatened several homes on the southwest side of Lake Greenbelt last week.

Fortunately, no structures were lost in the fire, but the incident highlights just how dangerously dry conditions are. Officials are urging caution and remind everyone that a countywide burn ban is still in effect.

The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was paged out to Greenbelt Way after 6:30 p.m. for what was initially thought to be a house fire. The blaze was soon identified as a grass fire, causing concern about the number of homes located on the lakeshore near the waist-high grass.

“The wind pushed it away from the houses,” First Fire Chief Jeremy Powell said. “But if we hadn’t got there when we did, some houses could have been threatened.”

Powell said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it appeared to be either intentionally set or the result of someone’s carelessness.

“There was nothing around that looked like it would have caused it,” he said. “Someone may have pitched a cigarette out the window or something.”

Firefighters from Hedley and Howardwick and county maintainers assisted in bringing the fire under control by 10 p.m.

Another fire burned about 30 acres near Interstate 40 and State Highway 70 about 10:30 Saturday morning. Powell said a wheel came off a truck and somehow started that inferno.

Groom, McLean, Howardwick, and Clarendon fire departments worked along side Donley County maintainers and got that blaze under control in about two and one-half hours.

Powell said everyone needs to continue to use caution and take steps to safeguard their homes from the threat of wildfires.