Fire burns multiple Slaton businesses

Press Release:

Lubbock County Office of Emergency Management in coordination with the City of Slaton and Lubbock County Fire Departments responded to a Commercial / Business Structure Fire in the Downtown Slaton Business District this morning.

Slaton Police Department 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call at 2:46 am from Mr. Jason Bautista an Employee of Klemke Sausage Haus, located at 255 W Garza St, Slaton, TX 79364, reporting smoke in the building.

Slaton Fire Department was dispatched at 2:46 am and arrived on scene at 2:50 am and discovered the structure full of smoke. 

Firefighters entered the property in an effort to locate the seat of the fire, and during the extinguishment of the fire, conditions rapidly deteriorated forcing firefighters to retreat from the structure and assume defensive operations to minimize the spread of the fire to uninvolved structures.

Mutual Aid Assistance was request from 22 Different organizations to include:

City of Lubbock Fire Rescue

Buffalo Springs Volunteer Fire Department

Ransom Canyon Volunteer Fire Department

Idalou Volunteer Fire Department

New Deal Fire and Rescue

West Carlisle Fire and Rescue

Wolfforth Fire and Rescue

Woodrow Volunteer Fire Department

Ralls Volunteer Fire Department

Post Volunteer Fire Department

Tahoka Volunteer Fire Department

Lubbock County Road and Bridge

Lubbock County Office of Emergency Management

Lubbock Sheriff’s Office

Lubbock County Commissioners Precinct 2

Slaton Police Department

Slaton Public Works

Atmos Energy

Xcel Energy

Tucker Oil Company

Nutrien Ag Solutions

Strawn Energy Services, LLC

For a total of approximately 100 responders.

As of 9:30 am the fire was contained to the initial involved structures and responders remain on scene to prevent the re-kindle and spread of the fire.

We would like to make residents of Slaton aware that smoke from the fire will be present for several hours and to minimize their exposure to the smoke plume from this fire.

Some road will remained closed today near the fire scene.

Approximately 91 Xcel Customers were affected by power outages caused by the fire and Xcel is currently working on restoration of power to these customers.  

The cause of the fire remains undetermined at the time of this press release and the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office has been requested to assist in the determination of the cause of this fire.

To donate to the owners of Klemke’s, click here.

To donate to Dr. Al Bendeck and the staff of Slaton Family Medical Clinic, click here. 

Original Story:

Multiple Slaton businesses were damaged or destroyed in a large fire early Saturday morning.

The exact extent of damage was not immediately clear after sunrise, with crews still on-scene. Slaton, Idalou, Buffalo Springs, Ransom Canyon and West Carlisle fire departments were among those responding, as well as the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office. Lubbock Fire Rescue also assisted.

Klemke's Sausage Haus and Slaton Medical Center are among the businesses involved.