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POTTER COUNTY—The so-called “Stinky Fire,” a wildfire that started in a landfill just northwest of Amarillo on May 18, destroyed 52 homes and impacted or threatened another 325 residences, officials said.
“It was a sad day,” Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner said during a May 20 news conference. She implored citizens to “keep the prayers coming.”
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster Relief volunteers quickly obliged with not only prayers but personnel.
Chaplains and assessors hurried to the area and by May 20 were serving in the field, assessing damages and offering comfort. The first recovery team, equipped to clear ash and debris, arrived by May 26. Administrative teams and work crews rolled in with a shower and laundry unit and heavy equipment, including a water tanker, skid steers, and a flatbed equipment trailer.
“The Church at Quail Creek in Amarillo did a phenomenal job of ministering in the days following the fires. They hosted our teams as well,” said Scottie Stice, SBTC DR director. Stice noted that DR volunteer Mike Brown, chairman of the deacons at the church, served as an incident leader, also known as a “white hat,” during the deployment.
Recovery teams completed the clearing and cleanup of 15 homes before the deployment ended June 6, Stice said. He added that SBTC DR volunteers made 84 spiritual and emotional care contacts with survivors, prepared and served 321 meals, completed 36 loads of laundry, and provided 64 showers, contributing more than 2,000 hours of service.
Beacon of hope
They helped people like a homeowner named Wes, who was at his residence as the fire reached his property, said Bobby Higgins, SBTC DR recovery crew leader.
While Wes’s home was spared, the fire burned a nearby outbuilding and crept toward his mother-in-law’s mobile home situated on the property. Wes drove the short distance to the mobile home, helping his mother-in-law to safety through smoke and smoldering flames.
“By the time he got her out, everything around them was on fire,” Higgins said. The mobile home and contents were a complete loss. “Crews had to cut the trailer in pieces to move it out. We pulled all the straps from the house trailer and pulled up all the poles as we cleared the burned property for them.”
Before it was removed, part of the structure’s frame resembled a tall cross, starkly juxtaposed against the broad Panhandle expanse.
“When I saw the cross frame, my first thought was, ‘When you think you have nothing left, there’s the cross as a beacon of hope,’” DR volunteer Carmele Porter said.
Wes, a local businessman, made repeated trips to haul debris stacked by DR crews to the dump.
“He was a super nice guy with a great attitude,” Higgins said. “We did pray with him a couple of times. He was extremely happy with what we did. He thanked us I don’t know how many times for coming out and doing the work.”
Other homeowners needed encouragement. One man stayed away from his property as crews cleared the damage. “He couldn’t stand to see it,” Higgins said.
Helping survivors recover from disaster and offering them hope are the reasons SBTC DR volunteers hit the field. A metal box recovered from the ashes of one Potter County residence—a decorative cross atop its lid untouched by the flames—symbolizes the motivations of all who choose to serve the survivors of disasters.
“We bring hope. We bring help. We bring Jesus … Jesus brings us,” Stice said.
To find out how you and your church can get involved with ministering to people in crisis through SBTC DR. visit sbtexas/com/disaster-relief.
