Fire chief says city lucky during water problems
The Temple Daily Telegram reports that Temple has been lucky. Rain in the early winter following a summer of
drought and a mere barbecue pit fire. This following a broken water line that left the city's residents, businesses and
fire department scrambling to manage scarce water resources."There have been no significant fires during this time,"
said Temple Fire Chief Lonzo Wallace.A car fire Saturday, an earlier barbecue pit fire and several small fires
represent the type of runs that the Temple Fire Department has had to contend with, leaving the department and the
city "really fortunate," said Wallace.Though Sunday night brought good news that water had been restored, Capt.
Ben Gillam of the Temple Fire Department cautioned citizens to still exercise caution.In lieu of putting out fires, fire
department employees were busy assisting people in various ways, Wallace said."The fire department employees
have been assisting citizens with water runs, like delivering water to some elderly and some nursing homes," he
said."For instance, a 93-year-old woman called needing water and Station No. 3 delivered water to her on Friday,"
he said.The fire department geared up for a possible crisis by adding an additional engine, which carries 500 gallons
of water on board. The department also contracted with nearby cities for the use of several large volume tankers to
assist with fire fighting.