Retired Amarillo Fire Department Chief Curtis Richards Passes Away

A retired Amarillo Fire Department Chief passed away on Sunday at the age of  87.

Chief Curtis Vance Richards was an Amarillo firefighter for 42 years from 1954 to 1996 and served as chief for 23 years from 1973 to 1996.

During his tenure, he helped the department grow its number of trucks and personnel and he worked significant fires like the Capitol Theatre Fire in 1954 and the Amarillo High School fire in 1970.

He also served as the president of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association in 1987 

Services are scheduled at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Trinity Fellowship Church.

Richards’ funeral will have full fire department honors, including AFD Honor Guard detail, AFD Pipes and Drums, a fire truck escort and uniformed personnel to honor him.