A single-story home at 550 Pebblecreek Drive in Mountain Home was fully involved when Mountain Home firemen responded Thursday afternoon at 2:49.
Mountain Home Fire Chief Ken Williams says when firefighters arrived at the James Portwood home, the blaze was venting from the center section of the roof of the wood frame residential structure.
Chief Williams says Portwood and his wife were outside burning leaves in the ditch area. They were unaware fire have traveled across the dry grass into the back yard and had extended to the wooden back deck. Fire then traveled up the rear wall, into the attic area and into the kitchen via a window and sliding glass door. The fire was undetected until a passing motorist alerted the homeowners.
Seventeen firefighters responded, with some on the scene five hours. Automatic aid from the Buford and Clarkridge fire departments was received, with both departments providing tanker aid.
The Mountain Home fire was just one of numerous blazes across the county Thursday afternoon. Other structures were threatened but did not sustain damage.
Henderson volunteer firemen responded to three blazes, with two of them occurring simultaneously. Henderson Fire Department Chief Robert Westbrook says his department battled a blaze for over four hours off County Road 46 on Turkey Knob Lane rekindling from a bonfire the previous evening. The department received the aid of a dozer from the U.S. Forestry Service.
At the same time, Henderson firemen were responding to a fire on County Road 832 spreading from leaves being burned. The fire burned the entire yard of a residence. While the residence was threatened, no damage was sustained.
Just before 4:30, Henderson firemen were called out to a third blaze near the Custer-Herron Cemetery on U.S. Highway 62/412. The fire burned a back yard.
Lone Rock firemen joined with the U.S. Forestry personnel to battle a blaze off County Road 74 threatening a cabin. Two dozers were used to contain the fire. Lone Rock Fire Chief Dale Bonnett says the extensively burned area is still being measured to determine the number of acres covered.
Norfork Fire Chief Frankie Baker says his department responded to a blaze on County Road 262 burning a hay field and 30-40 bales of hay. His department responded to a second blaze Thursday evening on Second Street in Norfork first reported as a structure fire. The blaze spread from a bonfire.
Radio traffic also indicated Gamaliel, Grover Township, Midway, Northeast Lakeside and Tracy responding to fires on Thursday. Radio traffic indicated the U.S. Forestry Service had an aircraft in the area conducting flyovers to determine fire locations and equipment needed to battle the blazes.
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