Thursday, December 29, 2005
Hell Comes To Small N.Texas Town ...
The wildfires seem under control for now, but Cross Plains, a small Texas town about 130 miles southwest of Fort Worth is in ruins.
From FortWorthStarTelegram, title link: CROSS PLAINS -- Hell came to town Tuesday.
With roaring, wind-swept flames leaping across streets, a choking black smoke obscuring the entire town, turning into an ominous orange hue when night fell, there seemed no other description for what happened in Cross Plains.
Even the Methodist church went up in flames.
"I've never been to hell, but I would imagine that's what it looks like," Callahan County Sheriff Eddie Curtis said.
Cross Plains, a farming town of 1,000 people about 130 miles southwest of Fort Worth, smoldered and stunk all day Wednesday as some people stared blankly at the ashes of their houses and others gave thanks that theirs had been spared ...
Two elderly women were killed when they were unable to get out of their houses, and the fires have claimed 5 deaths across N.Texas and Oklahoma.
There was a structure in Cross Plains which survived the fires: the nearly century-old house, now a museum, of Robert E. Howard, author of the Conan the Barbarian books
Rev. Jim Senkel of the Methodist Church in Cross Plains made a sobering comment: Senkel and his wife were left with few possessions except some Corningware and a riding mower. But he already has his sermon.
"God didn't promise us a bed of roses," he said. "But he promised us he would be with us."
18 homes were destroyed in Granbury, where my friend lives. She e-mailed that the fires there were apparently started by some kids playing with fireworks.
Click to the title link for more news on local communities. ¶ 7:30 AM
The wildfires seem under control for now, but Cross Plains, a small Texas town about 130 miles southwest of Fort Worth is in ruins.
From FortWorthStarTelegram, title link: CROSS PLAINS -- Hell came to town Tuesday.
With roaring, wind-swept flames leaping across streets, a choking black smoke obscuring the entire town, turning into an ominous orange hue when night fell, there seemed no other description for what happened in Cross Plains.
Even the Methodist church went up in flames.
"I've never been to hell, but I would imagine that's what it looks like," Callahan County Sheriff Eddie Curtis said.
Cross Plains, a farming town of 1,000 people about 130 miles southwest of Fort Worth, smoldered and stunk all day Wednesday as some people stared blankly at the ashes of their houses and others gave thanks that theirs had been spared ...
Two elderly women were killed when they were unable to get out of their houses, and the fires have claimed 5 deaths across N.Texas and Oklahoma.
There was a structure in Cross Plains which survived the fires: the nearly century-old house, now a museum, of Robert E. Howard, author of the Conan the Barbarian books
Rev. Jim Senkel of the Methodist Church in Cross Plains made a sobering comment: Senkel and his wife were left with few possessions except some Corningware and a riding mower. But he already has his sermon.
"God didn't promise us a bed of roses," he said. "But he promised us he would be with us."
18 homes were destroyed in Granbury, where my friend lives. She e-mailed that the fires there were apparently started by some kids playing with fireworks.
Click to the title link for more news on local communities. ¶ 7:30 AM
