Tyler

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

A storm system that threatened tornadoes Monday night and drenched the area with rainfall also caused four fires in Smith County with lightning strikes.

Firefighters in Lindale, Red Springs and Flint fought three fires during and immediately after the line of storms, but the last fire smoldered for hours before breaking through the roof of a 8,300-square-foot home.

During the blaze, a firefighter from Flint-Gresham and one from Noonday were worked on by paramedics and both were transported to a local hospital where they were being treated for heat exhaustion.

Other firefighters received rehabilitation at the scene, but later went back to firefighting activities.

At times the flames reached more than 60 feet in the air as scores of firefighters attempted in vain to save the structure in the Saddlebrook subdivision south of Tyler, but the flames claimed the home and all of the furnishings.

Smith County Assistant Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said the fire in the 500 block of Contenders Way resulted in a $2.5 million loss.

"We believe this fire was the result of a lightning strike this morning that smoldered up in the attic before spreading throughout the structure," she said.

Neighbor Judith Nelson said she went to her mailbox shortly before 12:30 p.m. when she hard a crackling noise and noticed flames coming from the roof of the home.

"I hollered to my husband to call the fire department and my brother, and I ran over to make sure no one was home," she said.

Nelson said her brother threw a rock through a back window in an attempt to save the family's dog, but the smoke was too thick.

"Black smoke was pouring out of the house, but I didn't hear any alarms," she said.

Within moments the small flame on the roofline had erupted into a full fledged fire that engulfed the entire structure, producing a wall of fire and a cloud of thick black smoke.

Ashes the size of large snow flakes fell to the ground and the smoke choked out the sun.

Friends and family gathered in the gated subdivision just south of Loop 49 to comfort Dr. Bill Swartworth and his wife Dawn as they watched the roof of their home collapse.

Chainsaws were used to cut down several trees so the ladder could be raised on Tyler Fire Department's ladder truck to attack the fire from the air.

Officials said the two firefighters were expected to be released from the hospital sometime Tuesday night.

"I don't really even know the Swartworths that well, but this is very emotional," Nelson said. "This has got to be devastating to them to see their home burn like this."

McCoy-Wasson said the fire was finally under control by about 5 p.m., but added the area would be smoky for awhile.

"They have all the fire knocked down. It is just going to smolder for a good while because this was a rather large fire," she said.

ABLAZE: Multiple fire departments responded to a fire in the Saddlebrook housing division south of Tyler on Tuesday. The home was fully engulfed in flames.
(Staff Photo By Tom Turner)