Firefighters from the Rockingham Fire Department fight a 2-structure fire as storm clouds loom.
The controlled burn served as a valuable training exercise for the fire department, and included: engines 2 and 3, rescue 5, tower 7, cars 1, 2, and 3, and squad 9.
ROCKINGHAM — Rockingham’s bravest were out in full force this week fighting a controlled burn on the leading edge of a brooding summer thunderstorm.
According to Fire Chief, Harold Isler, controlled burns offer tremendous training value for the department.
“We met a lot of objectives; we got a lot of pumping objectives done. We actually got out and stretched some lines…put some safety lines in place and did what’s actually called exposure protection,” Isler said.
The department had plans to put a match to both 1710 and 1712 E Washington St., but building cumulonimbus clouds drove heavy winds and an already roaring fire from the first structure, touching off the second intended house.
“We were going to burn both anyway, we started out in the small house, I think that one was 1712, and once it reached its flash point and went ahead, we didn’t even have to light the second house, the heat radiated over there and set that house on fire as well,” Isler said.
Considering the high winds and deteriorating weather, Chief Isler and his crews had to consider potential unintentional ignitions.
“We still had a contingency plan if it got too out of control. Quite naturally, we didn’t want to burn any power lines. Really there was nothing around it to damage but the power lines, so we keep the power lines cool, but we had already said that if it got too bad in the mix of the storm, we’d put it out and finish it up today. Luckily, it came through and hit us pretty hard pretty quick and went on out and we were able to complete the task,” he said.
Chief Isler said that while Rockingham residents occasionally donate property to the department for training, these houses were owned by the city, and their demolition actually provided a financially prudent service.
“Whether it be live burns, or whatever, whenever we get them with the city, we can do it in a safe manner and not damage any adjacent structures. It saves the city a tremendous amount of money whenever we can burn them, because that’s less cost going to the landfill,” Isler said.
Included in the exercise were: engines 2 and 3, rescue 5, tower 7, cars 1, 2, and 3, and squad 9.