(Photo courtesy of Elayne Whitaker of Lenore Volunteer Fire Department)
Lenore Volunteer Fire Department Crews get ready to tackle the source of a fire which kept three fire crews working four hours in order to get the situation under control. The problem, one volunteer says, is no fire hydrants.
The Lenore Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) and East Fork Volunteer Fire Department responded to the 3:22 a.m. call of a structure fire at Prarie Lane, LVFD Secretary Elayne Whitaker reported.
“Upon arrival, we noticed that there was a heavy amount of smoke and flames coming from the home,” Whitaker said.
After fighting the fire for about 30 minutes both fire departments realized they needed another fire truck due to the lack of city water in the area and called on Verdunville Volunteer Fire Department (located in Logan County) for backup.
A creek pump was also used to get additional water, but it still took the three fire departments. about four hours to get the fire extinguished, Whitaker said.
There were no injuries from the fire, which appeared to be of an electrical nature and started in the attic of the single-wide trailer, which had additions built on and looked more like a double wide with a crawl space attic, Whitaker said. However, a couple (who Whitaker did not name due to HIPPA constrictions) and four kids were living in the three-bedroom structure, which is no longer suitable for occupation.
“The outside walls are still standing, but there’s no way its livable,” Whitaker said.
A major problem with fighting this and other fires occurring in the area is lack of city water, Whitaker said, adding, “We were there for four hours, and if fire hydrants had been there, Verdunville wouldn’t have had to come over.
“This is 2009, we’ve put people on the moon and fixing to put them on Mars and there is no city water over there.”
People living on the Lenore side of the tunnel have water, while those who live on the other side — Dingess, East Fork, Breeden— do not.
When a fire does break out, it takes at least two fire stations to address it, therefore, anytime East Fork or Lenore is called out they call for assistance, because firefighters know we are going to need the water.
“We do have creeks and we can throw a creek pump in there,” Whitaker said, asserting, “We’ve been known to through those things in swimming pools.”
Post a Comment
