Wise County Residents Grateful For Fast Firefighters

RHOME (CBSDFW.COM) - Now that the smoke has cleared, Dave McCall, who lives in Rhome, can see how fortunate he really is. The Clearfork Fire came within inches of his front door.

"I'm not going to say that was the scariest thing in the world. But it was scary," McCall said.

McCall and his neighbors, on Clearfork Trail, fought the flames with garden hoses
until firefighters arrived.

Walt and Christine Estes live a few houses down the block. "Didn't have time to get worried or scared. We got out there with garden hoses just spraying down all the hot spots we could
find," said Walt.

Rhome firefighters say the fire started in a back yard and took off with the wind.  "It was a ripe day for it to happen. Everything was just right, all the conditions," said firefighter Matt Germain.

Rhome Police Chief James Rose said, "I was happy it moved away from the school and into this open field. Once it got behind this gas station it was kind of scary and then it started to jump 287 which would've pushed it into town."

The Clearfork fire burned for three hours and consumed 300 acres. "Well, it's going to sit like it is and maybe the good Lord will bring it back like He normally does on a burnt thing," Walt Estes said.