SOCORRO, Texas --
One week after a devastating fire swept through a Socorro neighborhood, the mayor said the town needs more than just volunteer firefighters. This Easter Sunday Angel Morales is spending the day with family, not at a barbecue or church but at his Socorro apartment that burned down a week ago.
Last week's fires burned a total of eight homes, leaving some families homeless. The mayor of Socorro, Trini Lopez, said it could have been prevented.
"In June of 2007 I put an item on the agenda for action from the city council for the city to start for them to look into the possibility for us to have a paid fire department," Lopez said.
The mayor told KFOX nothing has been done since then. Socorro currently has a volunteer fire department but Morales thinks after last week's devastation, it is obvious that it's not enough.
"They were here quick and they came on time but they did not have enough equipment. The brush fire was fast and it got to the homes real quick," he said.
"Having a paid fire department we are going to have personnel living on the premises or department so they can jump into a truck and get on the scene," Lopez said.
The mayor is quick to point out a fire department will come at a cost.
"We cannot ignore the fact that it is going to cost us. If we want better service, we are going to have to pay for it," Lopez said.
It's a price residents are willing to pay.
Morales,who now is left without a home, said, "It might not be a lot of taxes. I think it's just a few dollars for every property, it is OK with me. I want to prevent this from happening again. "
Last week more than 50 fire fighters from Clint, San Elizario and El Paso helped put out the fire.
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