Dateline: December 13, 2007

Fire destroys Sam Hill's   

The response was swift, but nothing could save Sam Hill’s BBQ from destruction early Saturday morning as a raging fire swept through the popular local restaurant.

“I’d say it’s a total loss,” Clarendon Fire Marshal Kelly Hill said.

Hill, who is also a Donley County Deputy, had patrolled the area earlier in the morning, and everything looked fine. But then a clerk at Allsup’s convenience store across US 287 called the sheriff’s office to report what appeared to be burning power lines.

That was at 4:40 a.m.  By 4:47 a.m., the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene, and the fire was fully involved, CFVD Assistant Chief Jeremy Powell reported. Hill was on the scene about the same time when the fire apparently hits its flash point, and the restaurant’s windows blew out.

Owner Terri Hommel was at home when her sister called with the news about the fire, which she had heard on a police scanner. Hommel said she was grateful for the firemen’s quick action.

“I was very impressed that they were there that fast,” Hommel said.

Firefighters finally brought the blaze under control by 6:30 a.m., but little remained of the restaurant that has been a stopping point for many travelers for the last two decades.

AEP/SWEPCO employees, the Donley County Sheriff’s Office, TxDOT personnel, and Associated Ambulance Authority also responded to the fire.

Hill said the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen area. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, and a representative of the state fire marshal’s office is expected here this week, he said.

Hommel said nothing appears to be salvageable from the restaurant, but she does have insurance on the building.

“I’m hoping to rebuild. That’s my plan,” she said.

But Hommel also said she does not think her insurance will cover the lost wages of her eight employees.

“I know a couple of them are looking for jobs right now,” she said. “I just ask everyone to pray for them.”

This is the second time fire has hit Sam Hill’s. In August 2002, flames shot out the door of the cooker when it was opened by an employee. That blaze destroyed the kitchen area and resulted in smoke and water damage throughout the building.

Hommel has owned the restaurant since 2001, she said.