Has the department considered a officer"s SUV or pick up with a small plow to help make accessing areas like this easier ? Sounds like you need some water source reviews done of the district. Does your department have any portable fire pumps? If areas like this have limited water would a few dry hydrants help out?
Any chance of putting the dump site at the end of the road and stage a few engines along the road to the fire with 5 inch stretched between to basically volley the water to you?
I always hate losing! I understand your frustration it is exhausting trying to move lines through a couple feet of snow! Narrow roads, tender operation, and all that snow. You guys did the best you could!
Not trying to second guess you guys, I really could never grasp the whole water supply thing, but was the lake/pond in the background further away than it looks, because it seems like if it's as close as it seems you could have pulled a draft. Again I'm not knocking the operation, just wondering...
why didnt they hit the part of the home that was engulfed instead of constantly shooting water into the garage? at least they could have stop the fire from coming to the garage right..??
Thanx for the reply & info on the snow /water ratio- interesting . I had just seen that snowblower video (hoping town fathers do not see it) and then caught your job. Thought I would pass it on.Sounds like you guys were dealt a no win deck the second you pulled up.
@osprey2100 Thanks for your input-we definitely had a lot going against us at this fire. We DID manage to save most of the garage, which isn't much but I guess better than nothing.
@osprey2100 Good call! We actually discussed that in our critique. Our Fire Chief had considered the possibillity, but discarded it due to the volume of fire (it was well involved upon arrival) and the fact that actual water density is very low in snow (about an inch of water for every foot of snow) and would have been ineffective in this case-I had seen the video you mention and it was impressive to be sure. Thanks!
how far from the shore of the lake was this house? could drafting from the lake have been a possibility or not? sure you might have to use an auger to get started but, was this a possibility? i cannot believe that the home owner would invest so much in a house but, not invest in a sprinkler system!
@wanttobehome Good question! The house was about 400 feet from the lake, but it would have been very impractical to draft, as there was a pretty tall cliff and dense woods in the way. I also think the water is pretty shallow in that area (and the ice was very thick (couple of feet maybe?)
Our Chief has been pushing for mandatory sprinklers in cases like this, but he's been having a tough time...
why the fuck even bother to fight that fire?
Dusco25 5 days ago
Has the department considered a officer"s SUV or pick up with a small plow to help make accessing areas like this easier ? Sounds like you need some water source reviews done of the district. Does your department have any portable fire pumps? If areas like this have limited water would a few dry hydrants help out?
highcountrytimber 1 week ago
Use snowballs
zetro217 2 weeks ago
Any chance of putting the dump site at the end of the road and stage a few engines along the road to the fire with 5 inch stretched between to basically volley the water to you?
SpprtAssoc 1 month ago
Never would I have guessed the snow would cause such a problem.
jayay35 2 months ago
I always hate losing! I understand your frustration it is exhausting trying to move lines through a couple feet of snow! Narrow roads, tender operation, and all that snow. You guys did the best you could!
kb9suy 2 months ago
Anybody notice the icicles towards then end of the video? Kinda ironic lol
Punisher351 2 months ago
Not trying to second guess you guys, I really could never grasp the whole water supply thing, but was the lake/pond in the background further away than it looks, because it seems like if it's as close as it seems you could have pulled a draft. Again I'm not knocking the operation, just wondering...
billdozer84 2 months ago
I don't understand. Why wasn't there a hydrant?
joshua12084 3 months ago
@joshua12084 They are in a rural area on a private road. Definitely no hydrants there.
FFNo18 1 month ago
Have u guys had any discussion about using grade c foam that airports use? Make sure and bring it up at the next meeting.
bwebber89 6 months ago
why didnt they hit the part of the home that was engulfed instead of constantly shooting water into the garage? at least they could have stop the fire from coming to the garage right..??
taetaem 10 months ago
Thanx for the reply & info on the snow /water ratio- interesting . I had just seen that snowblower video (hoping town fathers do not see it) and then caught your job. Thought I would pass it on.Sounds like you guys were dealt a no win deck the second you pulled up.
Be Safe- DC Mitchell HMVFC.org
osprey2100 1 year ago
@osprey2100 Thanks for your input-we definitely had a lot going against us at this fire. We DID manage to save most of the garage, which isn't much but I guess better than nothing.
ColchesterFire 1 year ago
@ColchesterFire way didn't you get water from the lake, portable pumps, we do, even have a 750gpm mounted on a 3/4 ton ford 4x4
pumpswater 2 months ago
Plan C -Improvised master stream - Start that big Airens snowblower and start shooting snow .
If you search u tube -this tactic was used very successfully by some practical neighbor out west to hold the fire at a ranch house.
osprey2100 1 year ago
@osprey2100 Good call! We actually discussed that in our critique. Our Fire Chief had considered the possibillity, but discarded it due to the volume of fire (it was well involved upon arrival) and the fact that actual water density is very low in snow (about an inch of water for every foot of snow) and would have been ineffective in this case-I had seen the video you mention and it was impressive to be sure. Thanks!
ColchesterFire 1 year ago
@osprey2100 exactly what i was about to comment about. but i saw you had already mentioned using a snow blower
texas9ish 2 months ago
Volunteer yeah?
USAGamingMW2 1 year ago
@USAGamingMW2 Yes we are an all volunteer organization and we run over 600 calls each year.
ColchesterFire 1 year ago
how far from the shore of the lake was this house? could drafting from the lake have been a possibility or not? sure you might have to use an auger to get started but, was this a possibility? i cannot believe that the home owner would invest so much in a house but, not invest in a sprinkler system!
wanttobehome 1 year ago
@wanttobehome Good question! The house was about 400 feet from the lake, but it would have been very impractical to draft, as there was a pretty tall cliff and dense woods in the way. I also think the water is pretty shallow in that area (and the ice was very thick (couple of feet maybe?)
Our Chief has been pushing for mandatory sprinklers in cases like this, but he's been having a tough time...
ColchesterFire 1 year ago