Junction Man Wins Rural Heroism Award (03-23-2006)

Nominated by his sister Iris Calvillo of Tahoka, Condarco will be honored at the Texas Safety Association's annual conference in Houston on March 27 for saving the lives of two fellow firefighters during a large brush fire last July in the Texas Hill Country near Tri-County Road. 

With more than 20 years of experience fighting fires, Condarco, who is an assistant chief with the Junction Fire Department and Kimble County Ranch Fire Association, was battling a large brush fire, most likely ignited by a lightening strike. He was driving a small brush truck with fire fighters Kris Lombrana and Vanessa Childers fighting fire from the back of the truck. 

When their truck stalled and would not re-start because of lack of oxygen amid the blaze, the crew found themselves surrounded by 20-foot flames with no escape route. Condarco instructed the crew to abandon the truck and run through a wall of flames toward the burned-out area behind the fire, rather than instinctually running away from the fire. This critical move most likely saved their lives. 

"We didn't have a choice but to go back through the fire and back up the road we had just entered on," Condarco said. "We had fire all around us. It wasn't a decision - it was our only choice - to escape to an area we had been working on, where we had put water on the ground." 

Stranded on the open burning rangeland with no vehicle or hand-held radio for communication, the injured crew walked through heat and smoke looking for clean pockets of air. Search and medical helicopters as well as ground ambulances were called, and the three fire fighters found their way to a tanker where fellow crew members started medical treatment. 

"It seems like it took forever, but apparently it happened fast," Condarco said. "I had no doubt in my mind that when we came up missing, the other crews in our department would find us." 

All three firefighters were treated for burns by emergency medical crews from Junction, Mason and Brady. Lombrana and Childers suffered more significant burns and have since made full recoveries. All three are back to work at the department.

"We train and train and with years of experience, if you panic you will get in trouble. Your training kicks in and you are on autopilot," Condarco said. "When you're in the heat of the battle, you just react and let your training kick in."

The Texas Rural Heroism Award has been given annually for seven years. Candidates must have performed a heroic, lifesaving act within rural Texas during the prior year.