Hot Shots 7/25

Rockland County, NY, Feb. 16

Firefighters of the Stony Point Fire Department found a fire burning in the rear of a large, two-story house and extending rapidly up the exterior and into the attic. An interior attack was thwarted by wind-driven flames and the lack of hydrants in the area. A portable water tank and tanker shuttle were put into operation. Crews worked in cold conditions for several hours to bring the fire under control. Shown: Mutual-aid firefighters from the Hillcrest Volunteer Fire Company await water to mount an attack in the rear of the house.

Photo by Kenny Flynn.

Saint Paul, MN, March 11

The Saint Paul Fire Department was dispatched for a car fire. Engine 3 arrived, reported a fully involved locomotive, requested a fire assignment and pulled its line. While en route, Chief 2 advised crews not to use water in case the locomotive was energized. Engine 3 advised that the area was nonhydranted and a long lay with relay pumping was required. Chief 2 had Engines 6, 8 and 24 get a water supply to Engine 3 and Ladder 24. Word came that the locomotive wasn’t energized. Squad 3 pulled a second line. The two handlines knocked down the fire.

Photo by Paul Barrett.

Memphis, TN, April 28

The Memphis Fire Department received an alarm for a commercial fire at Clayborn Temple. Although crews were able to bring the fire under control within about an hour, the historic Black church in the city’s downtown area was destroyed. Twenty-two pieces of equipment were dispatched between the first and second alarms. About three weeks later, it was determined that the fire was set intentionally. The historic church, which was undergoing a $6 million restoration project, was the organizing point for Martin Luther King Jr.’s final campaign in 1968 shortly before he was assassinated.

Waterford Township, NJ, April 27

The Waterford Township Fire Department responded to a reported junkyard fire. First-arriving units found salvage parts on fire. The fire quickly spread to acres of mulch that were on the grounds. Winds were gusting to about 30–40 mph, which caused the fire to spread to a field that was adjacent to residential properties. The area lacked hydrants, so a tender task force was struck out from the nearby counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester. None of the residences caught fire. Crews remained for days to extinguish flames that smoldered in the large piles of mulch.

Photo by Roman Isaryk.