rural water supply at fire scene

All posts tagged rural water supply at fire scene

Fire dispatch toned out Wellesley and Linwood for a possible barn fire on Manser Road near Streicher Line July 4, at 12:30. A passing Mennonite farmer called 911 and was able to get the cattle out of the barn before firefighters arrived. The Wellesley deputy chief saw light white smoke on approach and once on scene reported a well-involved barn fire. He requested St Clements, Box 690, and two tankers from Baden on the third alarm.

Linwood’s pumper setup 40 meters from the barn. Initially they drafted water from a port-a-tank while crews were setting up at the road to relay pump up to them. Water was shuttled from a fire cistern in Crosshill approximately 4.5 km from the scene. Once the tank was drained, tankers had to go to Wellesley pond  (7 km) for water. Normally firefighters would use hydrants in town, but water levels in the reservoir were low due to the hot, dry conditions over the previous week. Regional water engineers asked them to use hydrants in St Clements.

The barn collapsed less than 15 minutes into the call. Firefighters pulled numerous small and large lines around the structure. Once the fire was contained, crews let it burn until a back hoe arrived around to pull the barn apart. Fire was declared out at 18:00. Box 690 served 185 cold drinks to firefighters. Southern Ontario has had very hot and dry weather from the end of June to July 10, with daily heat advisories from July 5-10. Photos and video start 35 minutes after firefighters arrived.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

aftermath of barn fire in Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo
Barn fire in Wellesley Township ON 7-4-20
Gary Dinkel photo

Fire dispatch toned out New Hamburg and Baden for a structure fire at 3787 Huron Road, June 24 at 19:30. Dispatch confirmed fire in a barn full of hay with exposures and the New Dundee tanker was requested on this report. A New Hamburg pumper arrived to a fully-involved barn (130 x 30’) with five large silos on the ‘D’ side just a few feet away. On the ‘B’ side was a large shop (130 x 60’) 15 feet away, which had a large beef barn (260 x 100’) attached to it. A second 260 x 100’ beef barn was 100’ from the ‘C-D’ corner of the burning structure.  

New Hamburg’s pumper set up on the ‘A’ side between the fully involved barn and a 200 x 30’ driving shed. Three port-a-tanks were set up for water supply which was shuttled from a hydrant approximately three miles from the scene. Multiple small and large lines were pulled to protect the shop and silos. Baden’s pumper set up on the ‘D’ side and pulled lines to the rear of the barn and was supplied by New Hamburg’s pumper.

Spartan - Dependable fire engine
Gary Dinkel photo

Firefighters did a really good job of protecting the exposures. There was some damage to the shop siding and roof from radiant heat, and it was believed there was no damage to the two silos that had just been filled. It was a warm night and command asked for the balance of New Dundee to the scene to relieve tired crews.

Barn fire in Wilmot Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo

Fire was declared out at 2:00 after a front-end loader pulled the building apart, and spread straw out for firefighters to extinguish.  Forty firefighters worked the fire. Box 690 provided rehab, serving 166 cold drinks. Photos start 25 minutes into the fire. Wilmot had five pumpers, four tankers, three heavy rescues, and a 75’ quint on scene.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

Barn fire in Wilmot Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo

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

Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch toned out Wellesley, St Clements, and Linwood for a barn fire at 4176 Lobsinger Line, April 29 at 17:51. St Clements reported a thermal column on route and requested St Jacobs’ tanker. The barn had had numerous additions over the years and measured approximately 200×50’ at the front, with a second section at the rear approximately 100×70’, and a third 50×50’ section added on to the middle section. The barn was mostly to the ground on arrival with a favorable strong wind blowing away from a large driving shed and harness making shop, and two large houses.

St Clements’ pump set up by the barn, running numerous lines around the structure, and feeding Wellesley’s aerial. A four-inch line was laid in from the road. The Wellesley pumper drafted from three port-a-tanks to feed St Clements’ pumper. Water was initially shuttled from nearby fire department cisterns, and then from a hydrant in St Clements. A number of cattle were removed from the barn before firefighters arrived.

170 pigs, 250 piglets, and 30 cows perished in the blaze. Damage has been set at $700,000. Box 690 provided rehab. Photos taken 35 minutes after dispatch.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

barn fire in Wellesley Township ON
Mike Wilson photo
rural water supply at fire scene with portable tanks
Gary Dinkel photo
long hose lay at rural fire
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Mack Thibault aerial working at fire scene
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barn destroyed by fire
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Mack Thibault aerial working at fire scene
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Mack Thibault aerial working at fire scene
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Firefighters connect hose at fire scene
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barn fire in Wellesley Township ON
Gary Dinkel photo
Mack Thibault aerial working at fire scene
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fire engine drafting from portable tank
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Box 690 Rehab unit
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A Box Alarm fire at 41W538 Big Timber Road in Hampshire, within the Pingree Grove and Countryside FPD.

Pingree Grove & Countryside FPD fire engine at fire scene

Tim Olk photo

house badly damaged fir fire

Tim Olk photo

Pingree Grove & Countryside FPD fire engine at fire scene

Tim Olk photo

Bartlett & Countryside FPD Fire Chief Michael Falese at a fire scene

Tim Olk photo

Firefighters overhaul after a house fire

Tim Olk photo

More photos at Chicagoareafire.com

Kitchener (ON) Fire dispatch toned out New Dundee Fire for a barn fire at 966829 Oxford Waterloo Road, December 4 at 5:05. New Dundee requested a full response from New Hamburg plus Baden’s two tankers before arriving to the fire. Once on scene trucks had to dodge roaming cattle driving into the farm. Command requested a full response from Baden reporting they had an approximately 350×100 cattle barn fully involved on the east end of the structure. Due to heavy smoke, firefighters couldn’t see how much of the barn was burning. A 360 revealed 30% of the barn was burning and that there was a large number of cattle still in the structure. Multiple small and large lines were pulled to attack the fire. Two port-a-tanks were set up for water supply. Tankers drove to Plattsville, 1.8 miles from the scene in Oxford County to fill up at a hydrant.

Once the fire was contained, tankers drove to New Hamburg (Waterloo County) to fill up. The road is the dividing line between the two counties. Plattsville’s chief arrived on scene and advised command they had been dispatched for smoke in the area around 2:30 but were unable to find the source. Firefighters did a good job saving approximately 70% of the barn. Box 690 provided rehab for the fire. Video and photos taken 50 minutes into the fire.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

Canadian Firefighters battle a barn fire in Wilmot Ontario

Gary Dinkel photo

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”30″ gal_title=”Wilmot barn fire 12/4/18″]

At 06:38 Tuesday morning 27-Februaury, Colleton County (SC) 9-1-1 received a report of a fire in the gym of the former Cottageville School located at 72 Salley Ackerman Drive in the Town of Cottageville. The array of four former school buildings makes up the Cottageville Municipal Complex. The two older brick veneer buildings which were constructed in the 1930s, consisted of a 10,200 square foot two-story gym and a 200’ long, 11,500 square foot adjacent main school building which was once used as classrooms. Both buildings have been vacant for nearly a decade and were used for storage by the town. Two other smaller, more modern buildings are used as municipal offices, the police dept, and a public library. A construction crew who was arriving to work constructing a town park, noticed smoke coming from the gym. Upon inspection, they found flames coming from the rear windows on the first and second floors.

Colleton County Fire-Rescue Engine 9, stationed a mile away, arrived within minutes to find the building heavily involved, with flames and heavy smoke coming from most of the building. They requested a second alarm and deployed multiple handlines to the structure. The fire was already impinging on the large classroom building which only had a few feet of separation by a covered breezeway.  Battalion Chief Feather arrived 10 minutes later in Car 118 and assumed command of the fire. He requested a third alarm and noted the turbine vents along the length of the roof of the classroom building had already begun to melt and were emitting heavily charged black smoke. Firefighters deployed lines into the classroom building, but the ceilings on the north end of the building were already beginning to fail, with fire dropping to the interior of the building. Firefighters were evacuated from the inside of the structure as flames began to run the roof line. The fire spread quickly through the old wooden structure.

The rural Cottageville Community does not have a water system, so three separate water shuttle operations were initiated. Two ponds equipped with dry fire hydrants were utilized in the Cottageville area and one group of tenders was sent to refill at pressurized hydrants at the airport industrial park near Walterboro, 12 miles away. Engine 6 setup a fill site on Whites Ave two miles away and Engine 35 setup a fill site at the sand pits off of Peirce Road four miles from the scene. Drop tanks were used in front of the gym (Alpha Side) to supply Engine 2 and Ladder 6. A second drop tank was used on the east (Charlie) side of the building to supply Engine 27 and Ladder 19. A third drop tank was used on Salley Ackerman Drive to supply Engine 9. Battalion Chief Dalton and Firefighter-Paramedic Robert Gregory coordinated water supply with 17 Colleton tenders shuttling water from the three locations for approximately seven hours. Cottageville Police units and sheriff’s deputies blocked off roads leading to the scene, to keep lanes open for the tenders. One lane of Cottageville Hwy (US Hwy 17-A) was used as a staging area for tenders. As the water supply needs increased, a fourth alarm for additional tenders was issued. Command was transferred to Deputy Chief Greene. B/C Feather was moved to Alpha Operations and B/C Sheffield was assigned to Charlie Operations.  Crews on the east (Charlie) side of the fire buildings protected exposures and saved the two municipal office buildings. One building did suffer heat damage to the windows and siding.

Both fire buildings were a total loss, including all of the stored materials, the municipal Christmas and Halloween decorations, lawn maintenance equipment, and police equipment. A contractor with a large track hoe was brought in during the afternoon to remove debris to allow firefighters to complete overhaul of the buildings. The remaining brick veneer walls were pushed in for safety concerns. The fire did spread to a wooded area behind the school and a State Forestry Commission Tractor responded to cut a fire line around the back of the building. The woods fire was quickly contained. Due to the structure being a municipal building, South Carolina State Police arson investigators were brought in to investigate the cause of the fire. Five investigators and an arson dog worked at the scene for six hours. Cottageville Mayor Tim Grimsley, several municipal leaders and employees were on the scene for the duration of the event. The town and many citizens brought food and drinks to firefighters and law enforcement officers working the fire. Fire units were cleared up from the fire by 17:00. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion and was treated at the scene. He did not require transportation to the hospital. Deputy Chief Greene, B/C Dalton, B/C Jones, and Chief McRoy operated the Command Post.

Engine 2, Engine 6, Engine 9, Engine 13, Engine 27, Engine 35, Tender 1, Tender 2, Tender 4, Tender 6, Tender 7, Tender 9, Tender 12, Tender 13, Tender 15, Tender 18, Tender 19, Tender 26, Tender 27, Tender 32, Tender 34, Tender 36, Tender 90, Ladder 6, Ladder 19, Rescue 1, Medic 1, Medic 6, Medic 7, Medic 9, Medic 19, Brush 2, Brush 6, Brush 9, Battalion 1, Car 105, Car 109, Car 110, Car 111, Car 112, Car 118, Car 119, Fleet 2 and the Forestry Commission responded.

Barry W. McRoy, Fire Chief, Colleton County Fire-Rescue

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Shane Weber photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Barry McRoy photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Barry McRoy photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Barry McRoy photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Barry McRoy photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Harold Buzzell photo

4-Alarm fire in Cottageville South Carolina

Barry McRoy photo