STINNETT, Texas – A firefighter in the Texas Panhandle came home to find his house engulfed in flames by the same fire he’s fighting.
Charles Clark left work Tuesday afternoon after hearing that the fire was headed towards his home.
By the time he got home, it was already too late.
“The back of my house was already on fire,” Clark said.
He could’ve done what a lot of people would do: sit and watch his life burn in front of his own eyes.
Instead, he did what he’s trained to do. Not put out fires, but keep the fire from spreading to his neighbors.
Thanks to his work and the work of his fellow volunteer firefighters in Stinnett, they saved several homes—including his next-door neighbor.
“It’s a decision that wasn’t an easy one to make, but it was the right decision,” Clark said. “My house was not savable. Everything in this house can be replaced.”
Gage: “That says a heck of a lot about somebody.”
Charles: “I’ve heard that a lot here recently as well. I’ve been told, you know, by several people, that what [I] did was heroic. I don’t see it that way. It was extremely difficult to walk away from my house, but also knew that if we tried to do something to save my house, that my neighbor’s house might burn.”
Roughly a half dozen homes burned in his community, including the home of Joyce Blankenship, who died in the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.