Spanish Camp resident escapes inferno
Homeowner awakes to smoke and escapes with shirt, wallet; home destroyed by fire
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Photo contributed by Elmer Cavender A firefighter stretches a water hose toward the fire-engulfed remains of a home located off FM 1161 in the Spanish Camp area.

Curtis Moore escaped with little more than the shirt on his back when he fled from his fire-engulfed home this week.

Awaking to heavy smoke, the 54- year-old Spanish Camp resident had only seconds to reach safety. Disoriented and scared, Moore grabbed what he could as he stumbled from his mobile home around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

"When I woke up, I was in a big fire. I saw a lot of smoke and there was lots of heat," Moore told the Journal-Spectator late Thursday afternoon.

"I got out of there with nothing but my billfold and my shirt. That's it."

As his nephew - who lives nearby - called 9-1-1, Moore watched in horror as the fire quickly consumed his home of 25 years. With the sound of fire truck sirens wailing in the distance, Moore realized there would be little left for the firefighters to save.

"I just watched it burn; there wasn't a thing I could do," he said.

Wharton Fire Chief Bobby Barnett was one of the first firefighters to reach the FM 1161 home. He said it was "fully involved." Firefighters took a defensive stance, concentrating on extinguishing the blaze from the outside.

They also aimed a stream of water at a nearby propane tank to prevent it from igniting.

"That was our biggest concern," Barnett said.

Wharton sent a pumper and tanker to the fire. Glen Flora sent a pumper and tanker as well. Firefighters remained at the scene for around two hours.

Barnett said the immediate cause of the blaze is unknown.

Moore could shed little light on the possible cause either, being sound asleep in the front living room when it started. He said the flames appeared to have started in the rear portion of the trailer.

Moore said the American Red Cross has offered assistance. He's hoping to get additional help from relatives.

"I don't have a place to stay. I lost everything," he said.