GRAPHIC- Mud made battling a blaze a chore in Crawford County late this morning. The flames broke out in the tiny community of Graphic, just outside of Mountainburg. Volunteer firefighters not only had to put out a fire and try to save another home they also had to deal with the result of recent rainfall. As if fighting a fire isn't tough enough the firefighters' efforts were hampered by mud. Some quick thinking on their part kept the water coming even if the trucks couldn't reach the scene. In the end, the good news is three adults and a baby made it out alive.
"I was in the other trailer and the neighbor came hollering." Gerald Foster says he ran out the door to see his grandmother's trailer was on fire. His grandmother, aunt, and a baby were in the same trailer and made it out okay.
"I ran and grabbed the water hose, and we tried to fight it as long as we could till the fire department got here," Foster said.
Less than a half hour later firefighters with district three arrived on the scene.
"We pulled 2 lines tried to make an initial knock down and then started protecting the other trailer," District 3 Assistant Chief Gaylon Miller told 5NEWS. "There's about a 2 ft gap in between them."
The woman's daughter and son-in-law live in the second mobile home. Fifteen to 20 volunteers responded, including men from District 1 who brought a water truck as back-up.
The area is extremely muddy from recent rains. A water truck got stuck in the mud. Firefighters have had to run a hose all the way down the lane to get the water they needed to finish fighting the blaze. In fact, it was so muddy that even the tow truck trying to pull it out became immobilized.
A second fire truck also sank in the muck. Foster's grandmother desperately wanted to save her mementos, but her trailer is a total loss.
"She had some pictures of her mother and father that's passed away," Foster said. "Stuff that she can't replace."
The second trailer suffered some fire and smoke damage, but it was very minimal. Firefighters succeeded in saving that structure; something the family is grateful for.
"I was in the other trailer and the neighbor came hollering." Gerald Foster says he ran out the door to see his grandmother's trailer was on fire. His grandmother, aunt, and a baby were in the same trailer and made it out okay.
"I ran and grabbed the water hose, and we tried to fight it as long as we could till the fire department got here," Foster said.
Less than a half hour later firefighters with district three arrived on the scene.
"We pulled 2 lines tried to make an initial knock down and then started protecting the other trailer," District 3 Assistant Chief Gaylon Miller told 5NEWS. "There's about a 2 ft gap in between them."
The woman's daughter and son-in-law live in the second mobile home. Fifteen to 20 volunteers responded, including men from District 1 who brought a water truck as back-up.
The area is extremely muddy from recent rains. A water truck got stuck in the mud. Firefighters have had to run a hose all the way down the lane to get the water they needed to finish fighting the blaze. In fact, it was so muddy that even the tow truck trying to pull it out became immobilized.
A second fire truck also sank in the muck. Foster's grandmother desperately wanted to save her mementos, but her trailer is a total loss.
"She had some pictures of her mother and father that's passed away," Foster said. "Stuff that she can't replace."
The second trailer suffered some fire and smoke damage, but it was very minimal. Firefighters succeeded in saving that structure; something the family is grateful for.
