Swinney Switch fire ousts 150 people on Christmas — burns house, mobile home and 200 acres [View all]
SWINNEY SWITCH — More than 150 people were evacuated from two Swinney Switch housing developments along Lake Corpus Christi on Christmas, as fire destroyed a house, mobile home, several boats, vehicles and more than 200 acres, fire officials said.
New Testament Fellowship Church members rallied to provide coffee, temporary shelter and comfort for reeling residents as they scrambled to find family, friends and neighbors to stay with, said Swinney Switch Volunteer Fire Department's Fire Chief Lonnie Messer.
About 120 firefighters with 13 area agencies used 28 trucks to track flames that swept from the dry lake bed into Hideaway Hills and the Marine housing additions.
"There's so much old timber out there, when the wind hit it yesterday it came alive," Messer said. "It hadn't been crossing those little sloughs, but with the wind Christmas it was like gasoline on brush."
More at http://www.caller.com/news/2012/dec/26/swinney-switch-fire-ousts-150-people-on-151-home/ .
[font color=green]My old stomping grounds. Fires started in what remains of Lake Corpus Christi back at Thanksgiving. The lake is only about 15% full. [/font]
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