KENT, Conn. - Connecticut firefighters responding to a brush fire instead watched one of their trucks go up in flames.

WTNH Image: Kent FD Loses Truck

Kent Fire Marshal Stanley MacMillan says the pumper truck pulled onto a field on Wednesday to battle a blaze when it suffered a mechanical problem and stalled. The wind picked up, the fire spread, and soon the truck was ablaze.

The vehicle and equipment on board, including half the department's self-contained breathing apparatus were a total loss.

Fire Chief Eric Epstein tells The Waterbury Republican-American he's unsure what the truck was worth, but the volunteer department was talking about buying a new one for $450,000.

The good news is the blaze, sparked by a large grass mower, was brought under control and no one was hurt

___

Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com


Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Views: 214

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Very Unfortunate. All I can say is thats why you fight from the black.
"...the pumper truck pulled onto a field on Wednesday to battle a blaze when it suffered a mechanical problem and stalled. The wind picked up, the fire spread, and soon the truck was ablaze."

Most likely it had nothing to do with how to fight the fire, just bad luck. I mean, that was what I got out of it by actually reading the story, but that's just me.
The mechanical problem, most likely, was that the engine was starved of oxygen, which is what happens when you park it where there is grass burning.
It's not the first time it's happened, and won't be the last.

That's why you should always park it where it's already burned, where there ain't no more fuel.
Again, according to the related reports in the links, the wind changed direction, after the vehicle had stalled (or had a mechanical failure).

I'm guessing that the engine may have been trying to get to another vantage point when it died and the wind changed. Again, bad luck.

But really? Everyone has decided that, rather than bad luck/mechanical failure it instead had to have been caused by human error and lack of knowledge?

Sometimes it actually pays to read not just the entire posted story but to look at the links as well, for additional (and sometimes more complete) information. But then, I guess the guys in Kent just aren't the fire gods you all seem to be.
Reading the short report on the link it says that they were to close to the line. My question is why was the pumper that close in the first place and no on a dam or other water supply. Unless they were on the way to the dam and got caught then its understandable. Accidents happen.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Find Members Fast


Or Name, Dept, Keyword
Invite Your Friends
Not a Member? Join Now

© 2024   Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.   Powered by

Badges  |  Contact Firefighter Nation  |  Terms of Service