By DELANIA TRIGG, Register Staff Writer
A Cooke County couple reportedly lost almost everything they own in a house fire on County Road 207 outside Valley View Sunday afternoon.
The fire — in the home of Roy and Sue Hampton — likely started behind a refrigerator in the kitchen area, said Cooke County Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Marshall Ray Fletcher.
“The initial reports were of heavy smoke and fire in that area,” Fletcher said in a telephone interview this morning.
He said the Hamptons were outside their home when the fire began.
“They were in the yard and happened to look up and see smoke and flames,” he said.
Fletcher also noted that by the time the couple noticed the blaze, flames had spread into the home’s attic area.
Several local volunteer fire departments responded including departments from Valley View, Era, North Shore, Sanger and Little Elm.
Cooke County Pct. 3 Commissioner Al Smith said he heard about the fire and was on hand in case fire fighters required some additional assistance such as a supplementary water supply.
Unfortunately, Smith said, there was little his agency could do to help.
“I’d love to take credit for being johnny-on-the-spot, but on that particular fire, (county resources) were not needed. The fire was just too fast for them,” he said.
He said high winds also contributed to the fire.
There were some tense moments for emergency responders and onlookers as shotgun shells and other ammunition stored inside a bedroom of the burning structure began exploding in the flames.
The destructive fire came on the heels of one county VFD fund raiser. The Era Volunteer Fire Department held its annual Glenn Scott Memorial Fish Fry Saturday.
Era VFD spokesman Keith Bentley said events such as Sunday’s house fire are reminders of the importance of volunteer fire fighting agencies which depend on fund raisers to keep their departments running.
Saturday’s fish fry was a success, he said.
“It went really well. We served 700 people,” Bentley said.
The fire — in the home of Roy and Sue Hampton — likely started behind a refrigerator in the kitchen area, said Cooke County Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Marshall Ray Fletcher.
“The initial reports were of heavy smoke and fire in that area,” Fletcher said in a telephone interview this morning.
He said the Hamptons were outside their home when the fire began.
“They were in the yard and happened to look up and see smoke and flames,” he said.
Fletcher also noted that by the time the couple noticed the blaze, flames had spread into the home’s attic area.
Several local volunteer fire departments responded including departments from Valley View, Era, North Shore, Sanger and Little Elm.
Cooke County Pct. 3 Commissioner Al Smith said he heard about the fire and was on hand in case fire fighters required some additional assistance such as a supplementary water supply.
Unfortunately, Smith said, there was little his agency could do to help.
“I’d love to take credit for being johnny-on-the-spot, but on that particular fire, (county resources) were not needed. The fire was just too fast for them,” he said.
He said high winds also contributed to the fire.
There were some tense moments for emergency responders and onlookers as shotgun shells and other ammunition stored inside a bedroom of the burning structure began exploding in the flames.
The destructive fire came on the heels of one county VFD fund raiser. The Era Volunteer Fire Department held its annual Glenn Scott Memorial Fish Fry Saturday.
Era VFD spokesman Keith Bentley said events such as Sunday’s house fire are reminders of the importance of volunteer fire fighting agencies which depend on fund raisers to keep their departments running.
Saturday’s fish fry was a success, he said.
“It went really well. We served 700 people,” Bentley said.
