Quick Takes
Do you know the way to San Jose (because that’s where the fire is)?: A very busy holiday weekend for San Jose, California firefighters. Above is video from a six-alarm fire yesterday that destroyed a 28,000 square foot elementary school building. The loss is estimated at $8 million. The fire is considered suspicious. Read more here. At the bottom of the page is a fire-alarm warehouse fire on Saturday.
Fireworks firm has a history: If news accounts are accurate, 45 people have been hurt in three different July 4th incidents involving displays put on by Schaefer Pyrotechnics of Ronks, Pennsylvania since 2004. The most recent was Sunday in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. Three years ago it was Vienna, Virginia. Before that the problem happened in Pittston, Pennsylvania.
We have video of the errant fireworks in Palmyra and Vienna. Click here.
Paying $5 a call to save the fire department: That’s the plan in Wallkill, New York where the Mechanicstown Fire District wants to increase the number of firefighters and hold on to the ones they have. The firefighters could earn up to $6,000-per-year. Firefighters would get that in lieu of a retirement program, arguing that the 18-year-olds they are recruiting aren’t looking 40-years down the road. The leadership of the department believes the poor economy is one factor in the loss of volunteers. The idea for this program is not without controversy. Here’s the story.
Three firefighter hurt in collapse in North Charleston, SC: As we have come to expect, Grant Mishoe and his SConFire.com are all over the house fire yesterday afternoon that left three firefighters injured. The most seriously injured was flown out due to burns and a large laceration. Grant has details and lots of pictures here. Also, check here for an interesting email from the flight medic on the call.
Unfortunately it was that kind of weekend: Besides North Charleston and Sacramento we have a roundup of incidents from the holiday weekend where a number of firefighters were hurt and one from Wharton, Texas was killed. The details are here.
Radio traffic from deadly runaway horse at July 4th parade: Listen in as firefighters and EMS crews in Bellevue, Iowa deal with a tragic situation at a parade on Sunday that left a woman dead and many injured. Here’s the story.
Quiet Dell wasn’t so quiet: The West Virginia community had a little excitement at the Exxon station last Thursday when a car came off the roadway and hit a pump bursting into flames. The first arriving engine rolled in with the camera running. Here’s the video.
Firefighter/ arsonists – handling the problem: If you haven’t seen it yet, check out this article from FireEngineering.com on coming to grips with this fire service problem. Click here.
Interesting cause of gasoline tanker truck fire: In Flint, Michigan there was a deadly tanker collision on Saturday on I-475. It wasn’t the fire that caused the fataility. It was the other way around. A motorcyclist ran into the rear of the rig and was killed. The driver of the truck didn’t realize that had happened. The collision sheared off a valve allowing gasoline to leak. The truck burst into flames down the road a bit. Here’s the story.
Another roll over in Abilene, Texas: Firegeezer has the story of a runaway fire engine that rolled in Abilene on Friday. The same department also had a rush truck roll in 2009, an incident that was caught on video.
The other big fire in San Jose: This is from Saturday’s fire on Rogers Avenue. FirefightingNews.com has the details and lots of still pictures to go with it.
