Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Blaze Threatens Whelen Springs

A massive fire threatened the Whelen Spring community Sunday afternoon.

The fire burned more than 400 acres, including a 100-acre pine plantation, before firefighters from the region were able to get the blaze contained.

According to Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith, the fire apparently began around 3 p.m. Sunday near the home of J.W. Henderson.

Smith said it appears as though someone was burning brush, but lost control of the fire. Whoever was burning the brush had apparently cut a fire break, but the blaze jumped the break, getting out of control.

Fortunately, Smith said, the wind was not blowing as hard Sunday as it was when fire threatened several businesses and homes near Gurdon Tuesday, Feb. 13.

He said if the wind had been as high, the Whelen fire could well have threatened Gurdon.

Firefighters from the Whelen Volunteer Fire Department, Curtis VFD, the Arkansas Forestry Commission and International Paper Co. battled the blaze from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. before putting it out.

Smith said IP and the Forestry Commission had fire plows out, while the Clark County Road Department brought in a bulldozer to battle the blaze.

The Gurdon Fire Department was called out when the blaze jumped a county road and threatened homes in the area.

Smith said the GFD laid out four one-and-a-half-inch lines to protect the homes.

Additionally, Baptist Medical Ambulance Service had a unit on hand in case of injuries. Fortunately, there were none. Just several tired firefighters.

The fire began in the area of the Henderson property on East Whelen Road. It spread northward to the Whelen city limits before being contained.

Smith said the blaze also threatened a transformer sub-station in the region.

"We were lucky," he said. "With conditions like they are, people shouldn't burn."