A haze of smoke and flying ash covered the area around Hamm Creek Park, Fisherman’s Paradise and The Retreat for miles around, the result of a Sunday fire, which threatened numerous homes.
“If it wouldn’t have been for the blessing of getting rain, this would’ve been a major disaster,” Johnson County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rick Bailey said, while surveying the fire damage from a bird’s eye view in the Fisherman’s Paradise neighborhood.
Numerous residents and firefighters on scene echoed Bailey’s sentiments.
Heavy rains blew through Rio Vista about 4 p.m. and helped to quell the blaze, which started about 2 p.m.
The fire, according to early estimates, consumed about 750 acres, Cleburne Assistant Fire Chief Keith Scarbrough said.
“They’ll be flying over the area tomorrow to get a more exact count,” Scarbrough said.
The fire’s cause remains undetermined.
“It started on the roadside,” Scarbrough said. “It looks suspicious, not accidental. Can’t be lightning since the rain didn’t come through until later.”
Firefighters reported no injuries, and no damaged homes as of 6 p.m. Sunday.
All said it was a close call, however.
Flames crept close to a park and swimming pool area just inside the entrance of Fisherman’s Paradise.
Rescue workers called for an evacuation of the neighborhood, but delayed and eventually canceled such plans when the rains came through.
People were up here with their cars packed up and ready to go,” Bailey said. “Many of them did leave just to be safe.”
One woman, who Bailey stopped to talk through while driving through the neighborhood, said she had everything important packed up, and her dogs in the car ready to go just in case.
The fire jumped the road at Farm-to-Market Road 916 and spread through wooded areas to threaten homes in The Retreat.
From the top of the Fisherman’s Paradise neighborhood, Bailey looked across FM 916, toward two large fire blackened hills about a mile away, which remained smoldering.
“We were standing up here earlier watching those hills, both of them were covered with fire, flames shooting 50 feet in the air,” Bailey said. “You could hear the fire roaring. It was unbelievable.”
Numerous area departments responded to aid Rio Vista firefighters. Rescue workers from the Texas and National forest services responded to the scene with helicopters and bulldozers.
Initial plans called for helicopter drops over wooded areas inaccessible to ground crews. Heavy rainfall canceled the need for such actions, however.
Texas Forest Service bulldozers were employed to clear and knock down smoldering, in some cases still burning, wooded areas just east of Fisherman’s Paradise.
Chesapeake Energy also sent a crew to the scene with a tanker truck.
In addition to Bailey, County Judge Roger Harmon, Precinct 4 Commissioner Don Beeson and County Emergency Management Coordinator Jack Snow responded to the scene to assist with and monitor the situation.
Members of the Johnson County Emergency Support Service also set up on scene to distribute drinks, food and rehab services for firefighters and residents.
Firefighters, at the very least, anticipated working through the night.
“I’m thinking we’ll probably still be here tomorrow actually,” Scarbrough said.
Local News
Related Photos
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Matt Smith/Times-Review A firefighter hoses down a hot spot caused by a wildfire off Farm-to-Market Road 916 on Sunday, which burned about 750 acres and threatened numerous area homes. Matt Smith/Times-Review
Discussion
Firefighters, rain save threatened homes
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May/June 2012 Community Life magazine
The May/June 2012 edition of Community Life magazine is available for online viewing. Click here to view.
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