In the early afternoon of Monday, November 15, 2004, Howard County Communications sounded box alarm 7-5 for a reported working barn fire.
As units were responding, a fire task force alarm was sounded, followed shortly by a second alarm, and then several special calls for tankers and brush trucks due to water supply issues, and spot fires in the nearby woods.
The incident was commanded by battalion chiefs: Mark Richards (BC2), Frank Rommal (BC1), and Deputy Chief of Operations Jeff King (Unit 3). Newly promoted special operations battalion chief Mike Butt had the operations sector from his buggy.
