Firefighter's home a total loss

December 31, 2001

Star-Telegram | Firefighter's home a total loss

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Firefighter's home a total loss

By PEYTON D. WOODSON

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

All 23 of Rendon's volunteer firefighters took the night off Friday

for the department's annual awards banquet. The celebration was just getting

started when a pager interrupted the party at 7:30 p.m. A fire was burning in

Rendon.

Vaughn, the wife of firefighter " Wheels " Vaughn,

recognized the address. Worried about her three children who were home with a

baby sitter, she quickly called a neighbor. It was her own home that was on

fire.

" It was kind of weird to hear your own address coming through, " said

Vaughn, who's been a volunteer with the department for six months. " It was

the longest 15 minutes ever for me to get home " from the banquet in Crowley.

By the time the couple arrived at their leased home in the 6400

block of Mark Drive, the structure was engulfed in flames.

" You never think it will happen to you, " Vaughn, 31, said

Saturday.

The baby sitter told officials she was with the children when she

noticed that a branch on the family's 15-foot Christmas tree was on fire, said

Amber Waldrep, vice president of the Rendon Fire Department. The baby sitter

took the children outside. She tried to re-enter the home to get a fire

extinguisher and douse the blaze, but the fire was already out of control,

Waldrep said.

The Everman Fire Department was covering the Rendon territory during

the banquet and were the first to arrive. Flames were already shooting through

the roof when they arrived, said Calhoun, an emergency medical technician

for the Everman department and volunteer for the Rendon department.

Crews initially entered the home to fight the blaze but had to

retreat because of the weakening structure, Calhoun said.

" Every time a structure fire is [reported] in the county, we have

automatic aid with other departments, " Calhoun said. " It'll bring two to three

engines and a county tanker that holds 3,500 gallons of water. "

Community fire departments from Burleson, Edgecliff Village,

Mansfield, Kennedale, Dalworthington Gardens assisted. The last truck cleared

the scene about 2:30 a.m., Waldrep said.

Before they left, firefighters started a collection for the Vaughn

family.

Vaughn, who owns an auto body shop, said the family doesn't

have insurance on its belongings and lost everything it owned, including all

their money. They don't have a bank account, he said.

The family had leased the 6,400-square-foot, brick building, a

former children's facility, for about a year and had done extensive renovations,

Vaughn said. The couple have 4-year-old and 9-month-old sons and a

2-year-old daughter. Vaughn, 24, is six-months pregnant, he said.

Two hours into the fire, the Vaughns realized they didn't even have

bottles to feed their children with, said Kristi , a family friend. A

neighbor with small children offered the family some of hers.

" It's been kind of traumatic, " Vaughn said. " It's rough.

Getting through the first 24 hours is the hardest. "

Rendon Fire Chief Donnie Hurd II invited the family to stay in his

home. The Vaughns used Red Cross vouchers to purchase clothes on Saturday. The

Fire Department gave the family a new car seat, diapers and baby formula and

bottles.

" 's very sensitive because she's pregnant anyway, "

said. " Bless her heart, she just cries. She's really relieved she's got all

these friends. "

To donate to the Vaughn family, call the Rendon Fire Department at

.

Peyton D. Woodson,

pdwoodson@...

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