Gary Dinkel, with the Box 690 Rehab Unit,  submitted this story and the photos from a fire in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County, NJ Waterloo County, Ontario Canada on March 15, 2013.

March 25 2013, 6:20 pm, Conestogo (full response), Maryhill (full response) and St Jacobs tanker were dispatched to a possible structure fire at 1626 Cox Creek Rd. Residents reported boiling maple syrup on a wood stove had started a small fire in the work shop. The work shop was attached to barn, which was attached to a driving shed, and second barn.

A captain from Conestogo arrived on scene in his personal vehicle and reported fire in the roof of the shop. By the time the first Conestogo and Maryhill units arrived, the work shop and first barn were well involved. A creek ran beside the property. Initially crews shuttled water up the 1,000-foot driveway to the farm.

The fire started in the shed in the foreground of ,this picture and spread to the other buildings and cars.
Gary Dinkel photo

As the fire extended through the driving shed, Conestogo District Chief Arnie Gingrich requested the balance of St Jacobs to the scene, and for crews to establish a relay pump from the creek. One thousand feet of 4” line was reverse laid from Conestogo’s pumper to the bottom of the laneway where Maryhill’s pumper was set up.

Firefighters are waiting for water.Gary Dinkel photo

Initially, tankers shuttled water from the creek 500 feet up the road to Maryhill pumper’s port-a-tank until a 4” line could be set up from the creek. Numerous old vehicles stored around the barns caught fire. The second barn flashed over 20 minutes later. Two 2.5” and four 1.5” lines were pulled around the burning structures. The lines were used to knock down the vehicle fires, and then to work on the burning buildings.

Gary Dinkel photo

Gary Dinkel photo

The fire burned for hours before being brought under control. Conestogo released St Jacobs at 11:00PM and Maryhill just before midnight. A high hoe arrived on-scene around 10:15 and was used to pull the vehicles and structures apart to get to hot spots. Conestogo cleared the scene at 2:30 am. Initial damage was pegged at $300,000, but will likely be much more.

Three (Box 690) members remained on the scene with the truck for five hours. They served 139 hot and cold drinks, 48 hot dogs, 12 soups, and 316 snack items.