CHARLES BAILEY
Firehouse.Com News
Firefighters from Flint Township, Michigan faced a Christmas holiday
tragedy December 19 when they battled a deadly Christmas tree fire. The
fire, started by a six-year-old playing with a cigarette lighter, quickly
engulfed his trailer home.
The trailer home was fully engulfed when the fire department arrived. Two
other occupants, a 32-year-old male and a 3-year-old male, escaped without
harm.
Initial rescue efforts were hampered by water supply problems and staffing
shortages. Flint Township relies on "on-call" personnel to make up the
staffing on their engines. "By the time help arrived it was too late." said
Lieutenant Loren Colbert.
Colbert noted that the first engine arrived driver-only and was unable to
enter the structure due to "two-in, two-out" rules. Firefighters knocked the
fire down and then used a thermal imager locate the body of the child.
Township firefighters were forced to shuttle water from a remote hydrant in
order to knock down the flames. A crash truck from a local airport was also
called to the scene.
"The firefighters are handling it pretty well. There is counseling available
if they need it but no one has needed it so far." Colbert said.
Located just west of Flint Michigan, Flint Township serves an area of 24
square miles with three stations and 13 full-time firefighters. Each station
is staffed with one firefighter who drives the apparatus to the scene.
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