Youths put out grassfire

3 smother flames near apartments

By JOE RUIZ
jruiz@sastandardtimes.com or 659-8262

While walking to a convenience store to get some drinks, three San Angelo youths became involved in a firefighting mission Wednesday afternoon.

Zach Brownrigg, 13, Josh Rodriguez, 16, and Dustin Boyd, 12, were walking down Johnson Street from Brownrigg's home on Baylor Avenue when they noticed smoke rising from a clearing behind the Creekside Apartments.Rodriguez said they reacted to the fire thinking it might spread to the apartments if they didn't act quickly.

The boys found a bucket and attempted to carry water from the nearby stream, but a hole in the bucket prevented them from using much water, said Boyd. Instead, the three used dirt from earthen bike ramps behind the apartments to smother the flames.

Rodriguez suffered minor burns to his legs, but he said the pain and swelling was minimal shortly after the fire.

The charred grass on the edge of the Red Arroyo near the intersection of Johnson Street and Knickerbocker Road measured about 15 feet by 20 feet.

While the San Angelo Fire Department appreciated the help, Battalion Chief Ricky Long insisted the boys should have called the firefighters.

''If I were to meet them personally, I'd commend them for taking initiative and being decision-makers, but one of the first decisions needs to be to get the priorities straight and call the professionals,'' he said.

Anybody trying to put out a fire on their own might become part of a rescue effort instead, he said.

''Keep in mind that especially under adverse weather conditions such as high winds and high temperatures, a grassfire can get out of hand in a big hurry,'' Long said. ''The best thing to do is call 9-1-1.''