(OnFocus) Multiple fire agencies responded to a structure fire shortly before 9 a.m. in the Town of Richfield.
Units responded to 9050 Ader Road off of Eisenhower Drive for a machine shed on fire, which was not attached to a house. Richfield, Arpin, Hewitt, Pittsville, Stratford, Vesper, and Lincoln fire departments were responding.
As of 10:50, the fire was mostly extinguished.
This is a developing story.
Update 11:05:
Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor, incident command, said the call came in at 8:54 a.m. Initially Richfield, Vesper, Arpin, Lincoln, Cameron responded. This was followed by Hewitt, another Pittsville unit, and additional manpower from Stratford and Spencer.
On arrival, firefighters saw heavy smoke from from a two-story shed. The origin of the fire came from the southwest corner and spread to the second floor.
The owner’s wife was home at the time and called 911 after seeing smoke.
No damage estimates or cause was available.
Update 11:10:
Two firefighters were injured. One was injured after ice from the roof fell and hit him. Another received a wrist injury while combating the fire inside the building and was transported to Marshfield Medical Center.
Update: 11:36 a.m.:
Multiple agencies are needed to combat structure fires due to the need for labor.
“Staffing is tight, and that’s why we have as many agencies here as we do,” said Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor. “That’s how we get the number of firefighters that we need. We’ve extended into Marathon County for this because it’s a very labor-intensive fire.”
Fire departments nationwide are facing a shortage of volunteers. Those who are able-bodied and willing to work and learn are encouraged contact their nearby fire department, he said.
This structure fire posed several challenges to firefighters.
“In the winter icy roads are always an issue, dead end roads are an issue, turnarounds are an issue,” said Minor. “Tactically, it takes us a few more minutes to set up. It’s a long driveway, so it just takes more time.
“Places like this back in the woods are not uncommon today. Fortunately, the owner had cleared the driveway. He had ample width and height, which is very important to us. We require 12 feet wide, 12 feet high — that way, we can at least get fire apparatus in. It’s got a big enough yard for us to work in.”
Water supply came from within a mile of the incident on Thompson Road. An estimated 2-3 thousand gallons were used along with a foam mix (not PFAS), which cuts down on water usage.
Author: News Desk
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