Fire in Irene burns home to the ground

Update:Hill County fire destroys family’s home
By Erin Quinn in The Waco Tribune-Herald
A couple in rural Hill County are homeless after a fire late Tuesday destroyed their home, firefighters say. Just after 6:30 p.m., volunteer crews from Malone, Bynum, Mertens and Penelope were called to the 2200 block of Farm-to-Market Road 1946 to battle a fire at a home in Irene, said Greg Markwardt, Hillsboro deputy fire chief.

The Hillsboro Fire Department, the only paid department in the county, also fought the blaze. The couple made it out of their home safely, but the house was a total loss, Markwardt said. Their two dogs are thought to have made it out of the fire, as well, but firefighters said they ran away after being spooked by the fire.

Markwardt said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but likely is because of a propane leak in the home.
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By Nate Bishop at KXXV News in Waco
A raging fire in the rural Hill County town of Irene left two people homeless Tuesday night. The fire broke out just after 6:30pm on FM 1946. The Chief from the Malone Fire Department, helping to battle the flames, said the biggest problem firefighters faced was a lack of hydrants.

The closest source of water was six miles away. Malone firefighters were called out to a propane tank leak at the house earlier today and believe that may have been the source of the blaze.

The couple made it out safely, but their two dogs were killed.