Tarkington Firefighters Face Dilemmas

TARKINGTON, February 22, 2010 - The hard freeze that hit Liberty County in early December is paying unwanted dividends in February. That freeze killed a larger-than-normal amount of vegetation, providing more than ample fuel for brush fires.

Recent rains have done nothing to alleviate this danger, but rather have made firefighting efforts even more difficult. While the ground underneath is still soggy, preventing firefighters from using their trucks effectively, the grass and brush on top is very, very dry.

Tarkington firefighters faced this dilemma on Saturday afternoon. Dispatched to a report of a large brush fire on CR3017C, firefighters arrived to find approximately ½-acre on fire and quickly spreading into a nearby forest and pasture. While some firefighters used hand tools to fight the pasture fire, others positioned Booster 51 in order to fight the forest fire with hoses.

While the fire was quickly extinguished before it could spread much further, when firefighters attempted to move Booster 51, it quickly became mired in the mud. Firefighters’ efforts to un-stick the truck, including using the homeowner’s tractor, were unsuccessful. A local wrecker service eventually had to be called to pull the truck free.

Tarkington VFD urges residents to use EXTREME caution when burning, even going as far as to request they postpone burning until later in the spring. Should they choose to burn, residents need to make sure the area around where they are burning is cleared of dead, dry vegetation down to bare earth. Have an adequate water supply handy and NEVER leave a fire unattended. Do NOT hesitate to call the fire department at the first sign that the fire may be getting out of control. Firefighters would much rather arrive to find the fire out or only a small fire than to find several acres on fire.

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