Community
Firefighters are quick to help the residents Of Maderville By Traca Wheeler This past Saturday the residents of Mader Ranch (commonly known as Maderville, about 12 miles north of Gillette) awoke to fire engines, tanker trucks, and the sight of rising black smoke against a cloudy morning sky. Several Campbell County volunteer firefighters descended on the Mader Ranch early Saturday morning, anxious and equipped for whatever lay ahead. But no alarm bells rang and no one went rushing outside to find out what was going on. That’s because the Campbell County Fire Department had be invited out to the Mader Ranch in hopes that they could make what would normally be a daunting task of demolishing an abandoned and dilapidated house, into a task of simply removing some ashes. When asked if they would be willing to burn this old abandoned house down to save the residents of Mader Ranch some time and hard work, the Campbell County Fire Department was quick to agree. To most of us the thought of spending our Saturday morning in heavy bunker gear, filling tanker trucks with water, stretching hoses, wielding axes, and working in a flame and smoke filled environment is not a pleasant thought. But these firefighters look at things a little bit differently. For them this was a great opportunity to brush up on their skills, test their equipment, and have a little fun doing what the love… fighting fire. After developing a precise plan of attack volunteer firefighters from Battalions 3 and 4 were anxious and excited to practice live fire evolution training in addition to forcible entry, room search-
ing, floor sounding, and ventilation tactics on a burning structure. This kind of live fire training is what keeps these firefighter’s skills sharp and their passion to serve their community at its peak. After the structure became completely engulfed firefighters spent time testing equipment and sharing important training techniques with one another. There was also time for these volunteers to sit back and watch this beast of a fire and enjoy each other’s company. The fire was set at 9:30 am and within two hours’ time there was nothing left of the small structure but some twisted steel siding and a few concrete cinder blocks. Another hour passed while firefighters extinguished the flames and ensured that the surrounding area was clear of debris and any escaping embers. The evolution of this fire was an amazing and truly magnificent sight with flames moving rapidly from one section of the house to another, growing higher and hotter with each passing second. Of course this structure was not occupied, and no lives were at risk however, I found myself feeling very thankful that these volunteers were willing to spend their weekend training and preparing so that when the time comes they will be there, ready and able, to save my home or more importantly… someone’s life.
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