Grass Fires Leave Amarillo Area Scorched And Smoldering

This weeks fires have left the Amarillo landscape changed, at least for a while. Huge areas are scorched and smoldering after fires have raged in the area. Residents were evacuated from LaPaloma and the surrounding area yesterday as fires threatened that community. For now, everything has calmed down. But with no rain in sight, Amarillo is still in a high fire threat.

Amarillo Fire Capt. Wes Hall said a blaze in northwest Amarillo destroyed one vacant mobile home near Loop 335 and Hester Road and a storage building/garage before it was contained about 5 p.m. He said it was possible other structures could have been damaged.

Hall said the wind-fueled blaze broke out about 2 p.m. near Loop 335 and west Western Street, just north of the city limits, and burned into a “heavily populated area.” More than a dozen homes were threatened.

Residents living in Walnut Hills, La Paloma and Tascosa Country Club neighborhoods were strongly urged to evacuate and asked to turn on sprinklers to help stop the spread, he said. Residents were being allowed to return home late Wednesday afternoon.

“This thing moved so fast,” Hall said. “We really had to get out in front of it. They (firefighters) did a fantastic job of keeping it to just one (home).”

Fire departments from as far away as Vega and Fritch responded, he said. The Texas Forest Service also dumped flame retardant on the blaze by air.

“It could have gotten way worse, but a lot of units responded and took care of it quick,” said Potter County Chief Deputy Roger Short.

No injuries were reported. The city fire marshal’s office continued to investigate the cause Wednesday night.