A Busy Day
Wharton firefighters put out three house fires in 15 hours
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Photo by Elmer Cavender This trailer home, fully engulfed by flames, was put out by Wharton and Boling fire departments, which were already tied up with another fire.

Were Wharton firefighters paid, they would have earned their paychecks Monday.

In a 15-hour period, the volunteer department responded to a trio of structure fires.

"We had three in one day - that's unusual," Fire Chief Anthony Abbott said.

"In 15 years, I can't remember having three working house fires," Assistant Chief Bobby Barnett said.

The first two occurred almost simultaneously. Just before 5 a.m. Monday, Wharton's department responded to a fire at 2527 Nelga.

Homeowner Adolph Cordero Jr. and his family were able to escape unscathed by the blaze which appears to have started in a utility room.

"Most of the fire damage was in that one room, but it got into the ceiling and attic," said the department's other assistant chief, Scott Stewart. "The guys stopped it in the attic."

Boling Volunteer Fire Department was called to assist. It's a good thing they were on hand, for a second fire call came in while firfi.ghters were still tied up with the first.

Photo by Elmer Cavender Wharton firfi.ghters head through the door of a home found burning early Monday morning.

That second call was received at 6:36 a.m. A trailer house at 515 Moutray was reported on fire. While Wharton continued working the initial fire, Boling raced to the second.

Hungerford Volunteer Fire Department was called to assist. Wharton arrived on scene as soon as they finished with the first call.

"It was a trailer house fully involved," Stewart said.

"Nobody was living in it at the time, but it did have power going to it. It was totally destroyed."

The third fire call occurred around 8:30 p.m. Monday at 1218 CR 232. Firefighters found a single story wood home engulfed by smoke.

"There was heavy smoke already showing, but no flames yet," Barnett said. "Then the flames started shooting out the back porch."

The fire apparently started in the attic, near the home's air-conditioning system. Firefighters attacked the fire from the inside - and knocked it down quick.

Photo by Elmer Cavender Firefighters charge into one of three homes that burned within 15 hours.

"They did a real good stop on it," Barnett said.

Hungerford, Glen Flora and Boling fire departments all assisted.

Boling's department was sent to the Wharton Fire Station to cover any city calls.

That proved to be a good move.

While Wharton's department was tied up at the CR 232 fire, a gas leak call came in. Boling had to handle that for Wharton.

"Instead of leaving the town unprotected, the city was still taken care of," Stewart said.

"Without them today, we probably would have had a bigger problem," added fire department Chief Deputy Domingo Montalvo Jr.

Though odd to have three structure fires in such a short period of time, fire officials do not believe the incidents were related.

Each fire had a different point of origin, and it appears that all three were accidental.

"They were all so inconsistent with each other that there's no way to tag them together," Barnett said.

"It was all just coincidental."

Barnett said his fellow volunteers did a great job under very trying circumstances.

"We saved the two homes and that's a credit to our guys. They were real tired."