Box 690 Rehab Unit

All posts tagged Box 690 Rehab Unit

Kitchener (ON) Fire dispatch received multiple calls for a house fire at 31 Pattandon Ave, 8 September 2018, at 8:40. P1, P3, R1, A2, and Car 23 were dispatched on the first alarm. A contractor working across the street helped the elderly occupant escape the fully charged house with her two dogs before firefighters arrived. P3 arrived on scene first reporting multiple garages, and a large tree on fire in the rear with extension into the house. Crews were split between the garages in the rear and the house. Fire extended into the house through a rear wooden porch. P4 was added to the call as the RIT pumper. Two 2.5” lines were pulled for exposures, a third 2.5” was pulled and split into two 1.5” attack lines, and the two 1.5” bumper attack lines were also deployed. Heavy fire was knocked down in 20 minutes with overhaul taking another two hours. The fire ran up the walls of the house and into the roof necessitating interior and exterior overhaul of the steel roof and interior walls. This was a very hot humid day in southern Ontario with the high reaching 111F. Three additional pumpers and an aerial were dispatched to relieve crews on scene. Box 690 served 134 cold drinks, as well as snacks and lunch. Cooling towels were used by firefighters to cool down. Photos taken half an hour into the fire after setting up rehab. Damage estimates will exceed $250,000, cause still under investigation. Fire started in the rear beside one of the garages.

house fire scene in Kitchener ON

Gary Dinkel photo

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”26″ gal_title=”Pattandon Ave fire in Kitchener ON”]

Cambridge Fire Dispatch toned out North Dumfries Fire, Ayr Station for a confirmed barn fire at 3384 Roseville Road July 17 at 17:20.  Ayr responded with two 1,250-US-gallon pumpers, two 3,000-US-gallon tankers, and a rescue truck. Enroute to the fire they requested mutual aid tankers from New Dundee (3,000-US-gallons) and Kitchener (2,500-US-gallons). The barn was fully involved on arrival with two exposures; a house and a small driving shed to protect. The owner of the barn had just filled it with hundreds of bales of hay. Port-a-tanks were set up on the road and water was shuttled from a hydrant in Ayr approximately three miles from the scene. Firefighters were able to protect the exposures. Mutual aid tankers were released around 22:00 hours but Ayr had crews on scene until 22:00 the following night. They also responded back to the call almost daily to hose down hot spots until the hay was trucked away 11 days later and buried at a nearby farm. Box 690 provided rehab, serving two dinners, breakfast, and dropping in on a few of the daily returns to the scene. Firefighters consumed 200 drinks and 184 snack items the first night, a very hot and muggy evening. First night photos taken by Box 690 member Dave Westwood, approximately a half hour into the call. My shots were taken the next evening around 20:00.

Gary Dinkel

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Dave Westwood photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine dumps water into portable tank

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in North Dumfries township ON

Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch toned out Conestogo, Maryhill, Breslau, and St Jacobs for a fully-involved trailer fire on Katherine Street North at Line 86 August 10, 2018 at 14:00. The trailer was loaded with 20 bales of straw. Conestogo arrived on scene first reporting a fully-involved trailer, no exposure issues, and were setting up on the south side of the fire. Command advised Maryhill to respond with their pumper and tanker and set up on the north side of the fire off Line 86.

Numerous small and large hand lines were pulled from both pumpers. Water was shuttled from a cistern and then the dam in Winterbourne for the Conestogo pumper approximately 1.5 miles south of the scene. Water for Maryhill’s pumper was shuttled from a cistern two miles east of the fire. Center Wellington fire, Elora station arrived at the fire with a pumper and tanker having been dispatched by Guelph fire for smoke in the area. The border between Wellington and Waterloo County is approximately 1.5 miles from the fire. Elora firefighters checked with command to see if they would like their assistance. Due to the hot day command asked them to stay and help knock the fire down. They helped with water supply and firefighters went on air to relieve Woolwich crews.

Command requested Elmira fire respond with manpower and their tanker. The fire was knocked down in 40 minutes but overhaul lasted two hours as tractors had to pull the straw from the trailer, soak it down, then load in trailers to be driven to a nearby farm to be composted. This was the first fire for Conestogo’s pumper tanker that had just gone into service the week before. Box 690 provided rehab serving 135 cold drinks and 105 snack items. Photos and video taken 25 minutes into the call.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

trailer of straw on fire

Gary Dinkel photo

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”24″ gal_title=”Woolwich TWP straw fire 8-10-18″]

Kitchener Ontario fire dispatch toned out a full response for Elmira and Floradale, and tankers from St Jacobs and Conestogo for a barn fire at 1140 Floradale Road June 20 2018, at 2:00. Floradale arrived on scene first reporting a large barn fully involved with numerous exposures. They requested a full response from St Jacobs. Firefighters pulled numerous lines to protect a number of driving sheds and a generator building. Mutual aid was requested for a tanker from St Clements in nearby Wellesley Township. The barn collapsed approximately 15 minutes after arrival, but firefighters were able to save all the out buildings. Thirty cattle were lost in the fire. Water was shuttled from a hydrant two miles from the scene. The fire is believed to have started in a skid steer. Damage estimates range from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Box 690 provided rehab along with assistance from the Floradale Ladies Auxiliary.

Gary  Dinkel, Box 690

barn fire in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine drafts from portable tanks during a fire

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

barn fire in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine drafts from portable tanks during a fire

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine drafts from portable tanks during a fire

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine drafts from portable tanks during a fire

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine drafts from portable tanks during a fire

Gary Dinkel photo

fire trucks in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener, Ontario Fire Dispatch toned out St Jacobs, Elmira, and Conestogo fire departments for a house fire at 1165 Apple Grove Road, June 9 2018 at 22:00. St Jacobs’ district chief arrived on scene first and reported heavy fire showing from the basement of the house. St Jacobs pumper set up in front of the house and pulled two 1.75” lines and a 2.5” line for a Blitzfire attack. St Jacobs tanker reverse laid 850’ of high vol line to the east of a fire to a large parking lot where Conestogo’s pumper set for water relay. Tankers filled at a hydrant approximately half a mile away. The fire was knocked down in 20 minutes. Regional Police arrested a woman and charged her with a number offenses in regard to the fire. Damage will exceed $300,000. Box 690 provided rehab for the 25 firefighters on scene.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

fire truck in Canada drafts from portable tanks

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

fire engine in Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters in Woolwich Township Ontario battle a house fire at night

Gary Dinkel photo

Box 690 Rehab at a fire scene on Woolwich Township Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters at aerial ladder tip on roof with heavy smoke

Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener fire dispatch toned out Wellesley and St Clements fire departments to a confirmed structure fire at 3648 Nafziger Road in the Village of Wellesley, May 27, 2018 at 12:35. The Wellesley deputy chief was first on the air. Dispatch advised they had had eight calls on the fire and the phone was ringing in the background. The deputy reported smoke showing from his residence a few blocks away and requested Linwood and Box 690 and the second alarm. Once on scene he reported fire through the roof of an apartment building and requested a third alarm for a full turnout from Wilmot Township Baden station, and New Hamburg’s aerial. Two hydrants were picked up, one by Wellesley’s pumper and the other by Linwood’s pumper. St Clements’ pumper set up down the road at the dam and relay pumped to New Hamburg’s aerial. Multiple lines were stretched around the building to attack the fire. The fire spread through the roof to the front of the building. All firefighting was defensive. Crews were able to do primary searches of the main floor and basement at the rear of the building, and all three levels of the front building before being pulled out. The temperature with the humidity factored in was 92 F. Crews were rotated through rehab to cool down with cooling towels, Kore cooling chairs, and freezies along with 271 cold drinks. The fire was knocked down in two hours. The Ontario Fire Marshall was called in to investigate the fire as the damage will exceed $500,000. Box 690 was on scene four hours providing rehab to the more than 50 firefighters.

Units on scene:

  • Wellesley Township

  • Wellesley Station, Pump 3, Rescue 3, Aerial 3

  • St Clements Station, Pump 2, Rescue 2, Tanker 2

  • Linwood Station, Pump 1, Rescue 1, Tanker 1

  • Wilmot Township

  • Baden Station, Pump 1, Pump 2, Rescue 7, Tanker 5, Tanker 6

  • New Hamburg Station, Aerial 39

  • Box 690

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”14″ gal_title=”Wellesley 3-alarm fire 5-27-18″]