News and Notes from Rockingham County 2/1/15

News and Notes from Rockingham County

By: Firefighter/EMT Taylor Roby

Grass Fire Elkton
On January 10 units from Company 30 (Elkton) and Rescue 30 (Elkton) were dispatched to the area of 14511 Model Road for the report of a large field fire with initial reports of approximately 5 acres on fire. Additional information was given advising that the field on fire was a switch grass field, a hot and fast burning form of vegetation. While units from Elkton were responding additional apparatus were requested from Company 80 (McGaheysville). Medic 354 was first to arrive and advised that they had approximately 3-4 acres burning and FF Smith (RCFR) established Model Road Command. Command requested an additional brush truck and attack unit from Company 70 (Shenadoah) to assist with fire attack. Chief 80 (Breeden) arrived shortly after that and accepted a transfer of command and requested a station fill for Company 80 and an additional brush truck and tanker from Company 20 (Grottoes). As the fire continued to burn additional resources were requested on top of what was already responding and on scene. Units from Weyers Cave, Hose Company #4, and Harrisonburg Fire Department were brought to the scene to assist as well as ambulances from Elkton Rescue. A dozer from the Va. Dept. of Forestry was brought in to plow a line around the acreage involved. Units worked together to mitigate the fast moving fire and were able to mark the situation under control at 1613. Approximately 37.5 acres burned in total including 150 bales of the grass. 5 brush trucks, 3 engines, 2 tankers, and a dozer were brought to the scene to help extinguish and contain the fire. (Photo Credit to Michael Smith)

Structure Fire in Broadway

While units in Elkton worked on containing the grass fire, units from Company 50 (Broadway), 17 (Clover Hill), Rescue 50 (Broadway) and Duty Officer 90 (RCFR) were dispatched to Bare Ridge Road for a report of a Structure Fire. Initial information provided was a residence fully involved and all occupants were evacuated from the structure. A volunteer from Rescue 50 arrived first and confirmed the initial information provided by dispatch. Assistant Chief 51 (Brown) requested an additional tanker and a working incident be activated, based on the additional information, bringing Company 75 (Singer’s Glen), 60 (Timberville), and FM 90 (Mullens) to the scene. Once on scene AC 51 marked off with a two story residence fully involved with two direct exposures and two other exposures within close proximity of the structure, AC 51 established Bare Ridge Road Command. Engine 505 (Broadway) was the first engine to arrive and initiated a defensive attack with two 1 ¾ attack lines to attack the structure as well as protect the exposures. Due to limited access at the residence only one engine could make access to the address. The first two tankers on scene came up the driveway and supplied Eng. 505 for the fire attack. Once the bulk of the fire was knocked down it was determined that the residence was safe to enter to be able to access hot spots as well as assist the Fire Marshal with his investigation. The Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the fire and determined the cause to be combustible materials too close to the woodstove; the FM’s office reported that the couch was 12-18 inches from the woodstove. Approximately 23 firefighters from multiple departments assisted in extinguishing this fire and completing a safe operation.


**Authors Note: The Rockingham County Regional School will be April 18 and 19 in Harrisonburg Va. Registration will be opening soon so keep an eye out for upcoming classes that will be held during regional school this year.**