Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
It was a busy 24-hour stretch last week for the Three Forks Volunteer Fire Department as they responded to a working structure fire, gas leak, and outside fire.
According to Captain Charles Eastty, the TFVFD responded the evening of Friday, April 6, to a working structure fire, with Engine 14-11 arriving on the scene within seven minutes of being dispatched.
"This is a great response time as all our firefighters are volunteers. They need to stop what they are doing, leave their families, drive to the station, get on their gear, and drive the fire truck to the reported fire," he said.
Due to the current building materials used in furniture, Eastty said response times are critical for a structure fire because a house fire can flash over in under five minutes.
Eastty added firefighters quickly knocked down the fire from the exterior using an aggressive transitional attack, starting from the outside and transitioning in once the flames had been knocked down and cooled.
Once Engine 14-14 arrived, Eastty said they deployed a fire curtain, allowing them to control the oxygen feeding the fire, and entered the home to locate the seat of the fire.
"Engine 14-14 was able to extinguish the fire and prevent any extension," Eastty said.
Engine 9-1 from Amsterdam assisted the TFVFD to ensure the fire did not spread to the attic, and firefighters from Manhattan and Willow Creek assisted with general operations.
"This was one of the best outcomes we could have. It is attributed to the quick response of our firefighters first on scene and the training that they have received to aggressively combat structure fires," Eastty said.
With a need for additional volunteers, Eastty said anyone curious about volunteering or the department is encouraged to stop by the station at 13 E. Date Street any Tuesday at 7 p.m.
With the open burning season underway, the TFVFD also offered safety tips.
The tips listed by Eastty include:
-Get a burn permit if you are open burning. (Not required within the City of Three Forks)
-Keep a hose, bucket of water, and shovel nearby.
-Don't burn in high winds!
-It is best to burn in the morning after it has rained if you can.
-Start small!
- Keep an eye on burn ban alerts.
"I hope these tips can keep everyone a little safer. Currently, we have had a few small grass fires, from blown-out tires on the interstate to fires that got out of control because of the wind. The grass is still dry from last year, and until everything greens up and we get more moisture, everyone needs to be extra careful," Eastty said.
