CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi firefighters raced into battle against a grassfire Thursday to protect homes in the Kings Crossing subdivision in the city's southside.
The fire broke out in a disused golf course behind the neighborhood. Despite being in a fairly high-value residential area, residents allege that the property was neglected for dangerously long periods of time.
The City of Corpus Christi said that mowing was being performed Thursday by the property owner’s mowing crew. Investigators believe extreme heat and dry conditions contributed to the fire caused by one of the mowing tractors.
Resident Frank Smith, whose home is the closest to the site of the chaos, told 3NEWS that "they haven't mowed for a long time."
Smith elaborated on what he believes to be the root of the potentially deadly issue. "The statute, I believe, says that the grass should be under 12 inches of height within 50 feet of any property line, and that's not been the case. It's just been waiting for a fire."
According to Smith, before the fire, mowers were actually on their way to the property.
"First, we thought it might have been just a bunch of dust kicked up by the mowers -- but it was obviously a bunch of smoke from a grass fire," Smith said.
"Any maintenance that you can do to your property to prevent fire spread is going to protect you, and it's going to help us having to respond to a fire," CCFD Battalion Chief Daniel Valdez said.
Thankfully no one was injured in the fire, and since winds were low the fire didn't spread to any nearby homes. Residents praised the firefighters' response time with one estimating it at around 12 minutes.
Smith said that CCFD "did an outstanding job," but also praised neighbors who he said were quick on the draw, dragging out their own garden hoses to stave off the flames.
The neighbors seemed to agree that the fire served as a good lesson to take care of your property -- it could not only save your belongings, but the lives of you, your family, and your neighbors.
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