FRIDAY’S FIRE AFTERMATH LEFT LOCAL STRUCTURES UNINHABITABLE
The fire located north and west of Llano Estacado Boulevard and County Road M was contained after 4:00 pm Friday. During the fight of the fire, three helicopters along with multiple local fire department provided support to several structures that were on fire at this location. The fire was caused by a vehicle fire on Llano Estacado.
The damage, specifically the acreage involved and the structures damaged or destroyed in the fire that brought in assistance for the Clovis Fire Department from three helicopters, eight other fire departments and Cannon Air Force Base personnel and equipment.
Dan Heerding, Clovis’ emergency management director, said three mobile homes and a “foundation based” house were “rendered uninhabitable” by the fire. Officials declared the blaze contained by 4:30 p.m., but they were still fighting structure fires and “hot spots” into the evening.
Heerding said personnel and equipment came to fight the blaze from Ranchvale, County Line, Melrose, Grady, Pleasant Hill, Tucumcari, Texico and Farwell fire departments as well as personnel and equipment from Cannon Air Force Base.
Three helicopters were seen drawing water from Greene Acres and Dennis Chavez lakes in town and dropping water on the flames. Access to those parks was restricted due to that activity. The helicopters were identified as two from Aero Tech, the medical transport company, and a helicopter from an unspecified federal department.
Clovis Public Works department and the Curry County Road department provided road graders. The city also provided a water tanker truck. The graders were used to blade a fire break around the blaze to slow the fire’s progress.
Personnel from The American Red Cross came from Roswell and were on the scene working with people helping them find a place to stay as some areas remained closed off Friday night.
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