Volunteers Extinguish First Due Building Fire
 
By Captain Matthew Thews
May 18, 2017
 

On Thursday May 18th at 0200 hours the E152 and B156 were alerted for a large brush fire in the area of Adventure Park USA on Baldwin Road West. The call was almost immediately upgraded to a box alarm for the commercial building fire at Adventure Park USA. E152 (Capt. Thews), RS15 (Sgt. Chapman), B156 (FFII Gamble), A159 (EMS Sgt. Cribb), C15-1 (DFC Moe), and D15 (Lt. Bowles) responded with 15 volunteers. E152 arrived to find a 50' x 75' storage and maintenance building well involved in fire and requested the Rapid Intervention Dispatch. Flames were showing from all sides and the roof. E152 laid out a supply line and immediately began fire suppression and exposure protection operations. C15-1 arrived and established command, designating D15 the Fire Attack Group leader. The fire was quickly knocked down with a combination of a single deck gun, blitzfire portable monitor, and two attack lines, all from E152. RS15's crew opened up doors, rolling garage doors, and walls to make access for the engine companies. An elevated master stream from TR41 and additional hand lines were eventually used to assisted with hitting all areas of the fire. The fire was knocked in about 30 minutes, with crews overhauling and hitting hot spots for an additional hour. The cause of the fire was determined to be spontaneous combustion of wood staining materials due to improper storage. The damage was estimated at $200,000. The Frederick County Fire Marshall's Office reminds all businesses and residents to properly soak all staining materials in water prior to storage, and store them in a noncombustible metal container.

 
Units: E152 RS15 B156 A159 C15-1 D15 ET254
 
Mutual Aid: E331 CCE12 MCBE709 E172 TWR23 TR41 BAT901 SFT901 RID: MCE713 CCR1 A259 MCM713 CCC1
 
Hyperlinks: WUSA9 Stor