Fire breaks out at Hillje Gin again
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

L-N Photo by Shannon Crabtree Déjà Vu Firefighters from as far away as Ganado and Edna came to help put out a trash fire that quicky spread during high winds Wednseday. The fire is the third at the Farmers Co-op Hillje Gin this month.

Volunteers from at least six area fire departments converged on Hillje Wednesday afternoon to battle high winds as much as the fire raging among cotton gin trash.

For many of the volunteers, it was the third major fire they've fought on the grounds of Farmers Co-op of El Campo's Hillje gin this month.

And again, the wind was their greatest enemy.

Alarms sounded shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday calling El Campo firefighters to the report of a cotton trash fire at the gin.

At the time, the weather recording site at the Wharton Regional Airport was reporting winds out of the north at 18 mph with gusts up to 32 miles mph.

The rushing winds sent plumes of smoke skyward, making them visible from El Campo while hot ash began to fly.

"It apparently started with a bulldozer working the trash pit," El Campo Fire Chief Jimmy George Jr. said. "There was a spark. It could have been lint coming off the exhaust."

As El Campo called for help from first Louise, Danevang and Wharton and then Garwood, Edna and Ganado, smoke obscured the area with sustained winds rising to 23 mph.

The fire quickly spread.

"It moved from the pit to other piles of trash," George said.

Piles of somewhat fluffy cotton trash were burning from almost the CR 304 northern boundary to CR 314 to the south.

In all about 20 acres were consumed by flames.

Firefighters were able to stop the flames from leaping across the roadway although the smoke obscured fields for miles.

"We were lucky enough to be able to stop it," the chief said. "It took a lot of manpower just like the first time."

This time 76 firefighters used an estimated 70,000 gallons of water to douse flames. Glen Flora volunteers also assisted by manning the El Campo station in case another call came in during the two-hour fight.

"I really applaud all the volunteers," George said. "They did a heck of a job working the fire."

The only "payment" was a ham sandwich and all the water they could drink.

A similar cotton trash fire was fought on the same site Oct. 15. Three days earlier, volunteers from multiple departments battled a 30 module cotton fire at the Hillje gin.

"Wind had a lot to do with it. It was really pushing it," George said, adding the low humidity didn't help.

Although Wharton County is not currently under a burn ban, the fire chief asked residents to exercise extreme caution when burning on windy days.

Anyone burning is also encouraged to contact the Wharton County Sheriff's Department as well as the fire station to notify officials.

"And remember, a controlled burn is not controlled if there is no one there," George said.