In Spring 2011, areas around Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County burned out of control due to wildfires. In all, more than 100,000 acres were burned and more than 100 homes were destroyed, and United Cooperative Services (UCS) electric infrastructure was severely damaged.

One of our seven principles is “Cooperation among Cooperatives.” In order to help UCS restore power to their fire-ravaged northern service boundary, CoServ sent a crew of six employees, along with a utility pickup, utility crane (service truck), two bucket trucks, two pressure diggers, wire trailer, pole trailer, flatbed utility trailer, and a 4x4 Mule utility vehicle to provide much needed manpower, expertise and equipment to aid our co-op neighbors.

With such a large area of damage, it was necessary for UCS to stage supplies so that crews would have the materials they needed to restore service. Mobile warehouses and strategic

drop zones were established for all the crews to access needed materials. The CoServ crew, along with crews from other cooperatives, including Hamilton, Farmers, HOTEC and Wise, arrived and immediately began pulling the materials they needed to get under way. CoServ's first project was to work alongside a crew from Wise to restore a three-phase line. The crew stayed for nearly two weeks working in very rough terrain and poor conditions to help quickly restore electric service to UCS members. 

In addition to manpower provided by CoServ Electric, the CoServ Charitable Foundation (CCF) pitched in with a grant made to the America Red Cross—Chisholm Trail Chapter for $10,000. The funds, which came solely from CoServ employee contributions, were sent to provide victim disaster relief to those residents affected in the Possum Kingdom area.