By Julie Tomascik
Editor
High winds, dry conditions and plenty of fuel for a fire are all too familiar on the Texas Panhandle. But faith, hope and a sense of community are also deeply rooted in the families who call the wind-swept High Plains home. Gray-Roberts County Farm Bureau is part of that family, and it offered support following the wildfires last year.
“In March, fires raged across Gray County, consuming everything in their paths. Flames licked the sky, and the blazes grew,” Lance Weaver, Gray-Roberts County Farm Bureau president, said. “We wanted to do our part and help rebuild our communities.”
The Pampa Fire Department, as well as the volunteer fire departments of McLean, Lefors, Hoover and Miami, responded to calls for help.
Once the flames had died down, a thick layer of ashes had settled over the county. Recovery efforts were underway, and the support for farmers and ranchers came pouring in from across the state and nation.
Local and volunteer fire departments were also facing a similar uphill battle of recovery after the wildfires, and Gray-Roberts County Farm Bureau offered financial support to help the departments rebuild.
“Our area fire departments suffered their fair share of losses during the fire, including the immediate need to repair and replace equipment,” Weaver said. “If another large-scale fire had broken out, most of the departments would have been under-equipped to fight any blaze of this magnitude again.”
The Gray-Roberts County Farm Bureau board of directors made the unanimous decision to help rehabilitate the volunteer fire departments with a donation of $8,000 to each unit, along with an additional $500 a few months later.
The total amount donated from Gray-Roberts County Farm Bureau and Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies to the volunteer fire departments was more than $34,000.
“We’re all in this together,” Weaver said. “We fought these fires together, and we are rebuilding together. That’s what we do in Texas. We help each other.”
Without the local volunteer fire departments, Weaver noted the story from that fateful day could have been even worse.
“We appreciate all the work everyone has done to rebuild our county, our towns and our homes,” Weaver said. “We still face challenges, but we’re doing it together—as the Gray County family.”