Tarkington Firefighters have Busy Day

TARKINGTON, September 30, 2010 - Shortly after 1:00PM yesterday, Cleveland Fire Department Assistant Chief Scott Riggs was at Cleveland Supply on SH321 at CR314 when an accident occurred in front of the business. He immediately notified Cleveland Police Department dispatchers, sending Tarkington Volunteer Fire Department, Cleveland EMS, and Cleveland Fire Department to respond. Cleveland Chief Steve Rasberry responded, taking charge of the scene.

A total of two ambulances and three fire trucks responded. As EMTs began treating two of the patients, firefighters went to work cutting the third victim from his vehicle using the “Jaws of Life”. Two of the victims were injured seriously enough to require transport by helicopter to a Houston-area trauma center. They were transported by ambulance to the helipad at Cleveland Police Department where they were then loaded on the helicopters.

SH321 was limited to just one lane for approximately one hour while the accident was investigated and cleared.

But that was not the end of the day for Tarkington firefighters. Less than an hour after leaving the accident scene, they were dispatched to respond to a vehicle fire on SH321 approximately three miles south of FM1008. Engine 51 with Assistant Chief Dalton Gregory and two firefighters, along with Tanker 51 with Captain Brandie Shirley, responded to find a Chevrolet pickup fully engulfed in flames and the fire spreading to the nearby woods.

Firefighters worked quickly to stop the fire’s spread, then turned their attention towards extinguishing the burning truck, which was a total loss. The owner reported having just purchased the truck that morning and only had liability coverage on the vehicle.

Traffic on SH321 was limited to just one lane for nearly an hour. There were no injuries reported.

Shortly after 11:00PM, Tarkington firefighters were again dispatched to the scene of the vehicle fire, this time for a report that the woods fire had flared back up. TVFD responded to find several small spots on fire and extinguished these.