Cause of fires: A Clovis fire truck

A Clovis fire truck started multiple fires Monday that burned about 175 acres east of the city and took firefighters eight hours to extinguish.

According to a news release from the Clovis Fire Department:

“An Aerial unit, normally stationed at Clovis Regional Airport, was being brought into town for hose testing. While driving the firetruck west on SR 523 from the airport, the vehicle had a hydraulic failure to one of the outriggers.

“The outrigger plate was in contact with the roadway causing sparks. The sparks, in turn, caused a grass fire along the roadway at SR 523 near mile marker 5.

“The operator of the firetruck was not aware of the equipment failure and as a result, continued down the road causing the multiple fires.”

Deputy Fire Chief Fay Craigmile stated in a news release that witnesses reported the fire truck started the fires.

The fires moved north quickly, threatening horse stables, barns, outbuildings and homes. Clovis Fire Department responded with five units, three command vehicles and two safety/staging officers, the news release stated.

Three unoccupied outbuildings were damaged by the fires and the city’s public works department demolished them, Craigmile said.

CFD received additional help from Texico, Farwell, Ranchvale, Pleasant Hill, and Cannon Air Force Base fire departments. The Curry County Road Department, city of Clovis Public Works Department and K. Barnett & Sons Inc. also responded with heavy equipment to help put the fires out.