Weekend blaze threatens homes
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Strong flames ripped through areas behind a group of homes Saturday, December 22. The fires, spread by hard winds that afternoon, prompted a response from the Chandler and West Side Fire Departments.

Lonnette Dawson, home owner in the group on South FM 315, said the fire started around 2 pm.

"At least ten fire fighters from at least two volunteer fire departments came over immediately," Dawson said. "When it started it scared me enough for me to load up the Christmas presents."

Roger Bostick, screen print tech at Brookshire Grocery Company's print shop, said he has a house next to Dawson's.

"My neighbor knocked on the door and made me aware of it," Bostick said. "I was babysitting my youngest grandson, who is three years old, and I put him to bed close to the door so I could get him out quick if I needed to."

Bostick then said he took a hose, knowing the fire department was en route, and fought the flames as they crept towards his home, managing to keep the fire twenty feet away from his backyard fence.

"Then I looked around and saw the fire department had shown up," Bostick said. "They extinguished the fire close to my house and parked their trucks between our houses and the fire."

Dawson said the potential for damage was tremendous.

"The grass in the field hadn't been mowed in some time. Within minutes the fire was getting close to the backyards," Dawson also said.

Estimates of how long the fire departments stayed to douse the flames placed the episode as lasting from 2 pm to between 9 and 11:45 pm.

Bostick said the volunteer fire departments did an excellent job in fighting the fires that day.

"When they showed up I felt safe," Bostick said. "I'm a fan of the fire department right now; and they put the fire out without any of their men getting hurt."

Dawson echoed his sentiments.

"I don't know what to say. They deserve some kind of recognition. They did a great job."

Dawson added that the departments were short-handed on Saturday and that she was unaware of how the fire started.