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All posts for the month February, 2020

Couple of shots from a fire in Kitchener 2/5/20. Fire started in the basement around the wood stove. Heavy smoke on arrival. We were already responding to call as PC reported heavy smoke and asked for an extra pumper. Tough fire to fight, had a walk in door to the basement on E3, but no windows. Crews went in with zero visibility and fire above their heads. Backed out right away and pulled additional lines. Fire eventually took hold of the main floor. The house is a total loss.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690 Rehab

winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener (ON) P12, A12, Tower 13 (using spare P19), R11, and Car 123 were dispatched to the end of Forwell Road for a possible fire, February 19, 2020, at 14:48. I was on the expressway just passing Kitchener HQ on the dispatch. I could see the smoke approximately 4.5 miles from the scene. Car 123 was just behind me and also could see the smoke once he got onto the highway and asked for an additional pumper, P14 and Tanker 17 as they were not sure how close the hydrants were to the fire.

Once on scene, P12 reported an abandoned building with heavy smoke and flames showing on the C and D side. P12 picked up a yard hydrant and laid in 500 feet of LDH. A 2.5” line was pulled for a defensive attack. Command requested A11 to the scene, and returned Tanker 17 to cover at Station 2. A12 was setup for an elevated master stream. P14 and P19 reverse laid 1,600 feet of LDH to a hydrant at the entrance to the gravel pit on Forwell Road. P19 relay pumped to A12.

The building was being decommissioned, and was being used to store rubber conveyor belts from when the pit was  in operation. The fire was contained to the older section of the structure and declared out an hour into operations. Photos and video start 10 minutes after P12 arrived on scene. Box 690 provided rehab for the 20 firefighters on scene.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

heavy smoke from vacant mill building
Gary Dinkel photo
Pierce ladder truck at Kitchener fire scene
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener FD Pump 2 at a fire scene Spartan/Dependable
Gary Dinkel photo

East Main St. 2nd Alarm (Waterbury, CT) 2/21/20 

WATERBURY, CT – Shortly before 8:00pm on February 21, 2020, the Waterbury Fire Department (CT) was dispatched to 693 East Main Street for a fire in a large 3-story apartment building. First companies on scene found heavy smoke and fire. The structure housed a homeless hospitality center on the 1st floor, while the top two floors were unoccupied. The fire escalated to the point where all of the department’s resources were engaged at the scene, as well as mutual aid being called in. There were no reported injuries at the time of this writing. 

Seagrave fire truck at massive building fire
Keith Muratori photo, Firegroundimages.com
Seagrave fire engine at massive building fire
Keith Muratori photo, Firegroundimages.com
Seagrave fire engine at massive building fire
Keith Muratori photo, Firegroundimages.com
Seagrave fire engine at massive building fire
Keith Muratori photo, Firegroundimages.com
Seagrave fire truck at massive building fire
Keith Muratori photo, Firegroundimages.com

For the full gallery of still images from this incident, click HERE

Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch toned out Floradale and Elmira for a barn fire in Wellington County at 7247 Line 3, January 9, 2020 at 7:50. Woolwich Township covers this area for Mapleton under contract. Floradale could see heavy smoke and fire as they pulled out of town and requested two additional tankers from St Jacobs and Conestogo.  As they got closer to the fire they asked for a full turnout from St Jacobs, and two additional tankers from Mapleton Township. Mapleton responded with a tanker from Moorefield, and pumper, tanker, and rescue from Drayton.

The large two-story chicken barn was fully involved from end to end on arrival. Multiple lines were pulled to protect exposures. The 100′ x 40’ building collapsed approximately 10 minutes after arrival. Firefighters were able to save a large shop that housed a window making business which was less than 25 feet from the fire, and a large barn. Fortunately the wind was out of the east, which made firefighting much easier. Normal winds are from the west which would have pushed the fire at the two exposures.

There were no chicks in the barn, a new crop was to arrive the following day. Damage pegged at $250,000. Box 690 and the Floradale Ladies Auxiliary provided rebab at the scene. Photos show set up at the fire. It’s a 30 minute drive to the fire from my house. A news article can be found HERE.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

winter fire scene
Gary Dinkel photo
winter fire scene
Gary Dinkel photo
winter fire scene
Gary Dinkel photo
Canadian Firefighters use tanker shuttle at fire
Gary Dinkel photo
Canadian Firefighters use tanker shuttle at fire
Gary Dinkel photo
Freightiner fire truck in Canada
Gary Dinkel photo
fire scene command officer
Gary Dinkel photo

Cambridge, Ontario P32, P31, A36, A33, R31, and Car 323 were dispatched for a possible fire at 154 Holland Circle February 6, 2020 at 20:00. P32 arrived on scene reporting heavy fire showing from the main floor of a large single-family home, pulling two attack lines. Due to the volume of fire, and the fact that the fire originated in the basement, all firefighting was defensive.

Firefighters pulled additional lines and set up A36. Conditions were cold and windy night with heavy snow showers throughout the night. Firefighters were able to contain the fire from spreading to large homes on either side of the original structure. The fire spread to the second floor and attic. A34 was requested to the scene for manpower, and two overtime crews were called in to staff spare apparatus.

Cambridge has six stations staffed full time. A38 staffed by call-in crews was sent to the scene at 23:00. The was declared under control at 02:00 the following day. Firefighters remained on scene attending to hot spots well into the afternoon. The fire was believed to be electrical in nature, starting in the basement. Damage has been set at $700,000. Box 690 provided rehab. Photos and video start 25 minutes into the call. 

Gary Dinkel , Box 690

Cambridge Firefighters battle winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
Cambridge Firefighters battle winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
Cambridge Firefighters battle winter house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
Cambridge ON house fire video 2/6/20

On Tuesday February 18th at 15:17 hours, the Grand Rapids Fire Department was alerted for fire at the corner of Eastern and Oakdale SE. Engine 10 arrived with heavy smoke showing from a one-story commercial building. Companies began a offensive attack and performed searches of the building. The building had three separate areas, and crews conducted primary searches in the other areas which proved negative. After sending multiple crews inside, command pulled everyone out and they started operating in a defensive posture. Several handlines and aerial streams were used to bring the fire under control. 

Initial assignment was Engine 4, Engine 10, Engine 11, Rescue 1, Rescue 2, Ladder 4, Car 5, Car 3, extra Engine 2, Engine 6, and Platform 2.                         2nd Alarm brought Engine 3, Engine 5, Engine 9, Ladder 1, Ladder 3, ADV 1, Car 2, and Car 6. 

Grand Rapids Firefighters battle a fire
Dylan Bartz photo
Rosenbauer Command fire engine at fire scene
Dylan Bartz photo
Grand Rapids Firefighters battle a fire
Dylan Bartz photo
Firefighters in Grand Rapids, MI battle a 2-Alarm commercial building fire at Eastern and Oakdale SE on February 18, 2020

Kitchener, Ontario fire dispatch toned out P12, Tower 13, A12, R11 and Car 123 on November 24 2019 at 12:30 for a possible structure at 656 Frederick Street. Tower 13 arrived on scene to white smoke coming from an attached garage. While they were pulling their lines a small explosion inside the garage quickly changed the smoke to dark black. There was gas, propane, and kerosene in the garage. The garage became fully involved threating the attached house and the house on the E4 side. Two additional pumpers were requested as firefighters attacked the fire with multiple lines. There was no extension into either house. Cause of the fire was listed as careless smoking. Photos and video start five minutes into the fire.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
massive smoke from garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters battle a garage fire
Gary Dinkel photo
Pierce Impel quints in Canada
Gary Dinkel photo