SAN JUAN, Texas -- Firefighters stopped a rapidly spreading grass fire from consuming a home and a dog tied to a fence Thursday evening.
The fire began shortly before 6:30 p.m. at a field along Wolverine Drive, between Minnesota Road and Nolana Avenue, said San Juan Fire Chief Tirso Garza.
"We had a call from an elderly woman who lives at that residence," Garza said as he pointed to a house which had a fence burned out and a storage shed that had been burned as well. "She called saying that a grass fire was coming up to her house."
Firefighters arrived at the house and began fighting the flames, but strong winds kept fanning the flames and causing it to spread prompting Garza to call for mutual aid from Edinburg and Alamo fire departments. Edinburg assisted at the grass fire while Alamo manned the fire station in case of any other emergencies.
While fighting the fire, which had crept up to the fence of the house, firefighters were able to rescue a dog belonging to the elderly woman that had been tied to the fence.
The fire consumed little more that one acre and left some fire damage in the woman's fence, shed and property, Garza said. No injuries were reported.
"We are going to have our fire investigators take a look at the scene because witnesses reported seeing a group of juveniles playing in the area where the fire appears to have started," he said.
Copyright 2012 - The Monitor, McAllen, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
