Dateline: March 16, 2006

Wreck injures three Howardwick firemen 

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Three Howardwick firemen were seriously injured, and one fire truck was lost during the fight to contain the Interstate-40 wildfire this past weekend.

Jeff Cook, Joey Garcia, and James McMorries were all still in Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo Tuesday morning.

Howardwick Mayor Pro-tem Marvin Elam said the firemen were fighting the fire north of the south safety rest area on I-40. The truck was moving along a ravine ledge on a fresh cut firebreak when the ledge gave way about 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The grassfire truck was full of water and was therefore top heavy, Elam said. It overturned with Garcia on the front and McMorries and Cook in the cab.

“It rolled maybe twice and ended up on its wheels,” Elam said. “I don’t know what kept it from going all the way to the bottom.”

McMorries and Cook are reported to be suffering from the most critical injuries, and both men were in the CCU at press time.

McMorries suffered a torn aorta, and Cook sustained a broken neck and other injuries.

Garcia, who was able to jump from the truck, had some very bad burns and also broke one leg very badly. He had come through surgery and was in a room at NWTH Tuesday morning, Elam said.

In addition to three firemen being injured, the accident meant the loss of one of the city’s two grassfire trucks.

Donations for the Howardwick department are being taken at the Howardwick City Hall, 245 Rick Husband Blvd., Howardwick, TX 79226-8207. Community Bank in Clarendon has also started a fire truck fund to help replace the lost truck.