LAURENCE HAMMACK
The Roanoke Times, Va.
(TNS)

A fire that caused major damage to Botetourt County’s fire training center in September was caused by an electrical wiring failure, an investigation has determined.

At about 5:14 a.m. on Sept. 26, firefighters responded to a blaze at the Troutville facility, which serves as a training center for firefighting and emergency services.

Blaze destroys Troutville Fire Training Center, a ‘significant loss’

A fire ripped through Troutville’s training center for firefighting and emergency services Friday morning, in what Botetourt County says is a difficult loss of such an important resource.

“A segment of electrical conduit was noted to have what appeared to be an opening, as though a large-gauge electrical wire may have arced and caused a failure within the conduit,” the Botetourt County Fire & EMS Department said in a news release Tuesday night.

Results of the investigation have been turned over to the insurance company for the property.

“Once confirmed, the insurance company will work with the county and Troutville Fire Department to determine the amount of coverage to restore an operational training facility on the same grounds,” the release stated.

Jason Ferguson, chief of the Fire & EMS Department, said it was too early to estimate the cost of damage to the building and its contents.

Ferguson told the county board of supervisors Tuesday that the insurance carrier has already agreed to issue an initial payment of $50,000, knowing that the final claim will be “well over” that amount.

There was substantial damage to both the structure, a 75-year-old former schoolhouse, and the equipment and supplies that it housed.

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The building on Sunset Avenue in Troutville served as the county’s primary training location and hosted a volunteer firefighter academy. The academy has relocated to the nearby Troutville Fire Station, and a backup 911 center has been moved to the Greenfield Administrative Center.

© 2025 The Roanoke Times, Va.. Visit www.roanoke.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The post Fire at VA Fire Training Center Caused by Electrical Failure appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a new series where we ask apparatus operators a number of questions about their job in a Question and Answer format.

Meet firefighter Brandon Maurer, age 34, Truck Company 1 chauffeur with the Wichita (KS) Fire Department. Maurer has 15 years of service, 10 as a chauffeur. He operates a ladder tower truck in Wichita’s older downtown district.

What were the circumstances that led you to becoming an apparatus operator? Is it something you always wanted to do?

Truck members assisted throughout my fire academy and one of my lead instructors was a truck officer. This was my first exposure to dedicated truck companies, having previously come from a smaller department. During this time in our department’s history, there were four truck and 22 engine companies. To say the least, truck companies were busy; some much busier than others. After getting assigned on the floor, I continued to watch these companies. They were larger than life and carried themselves well. My first experience hearing the sound of the truck company opening up overhead was incredible to say the least and I was hooked. I went through the next available truck academy and was re-assigned to an engine/truck house. For the next eight years, I had a permanent seat riding the step position of Truck Company 1 and moved up to drive during the chauffeur’s absence. For close to four years now I have been permanent senior chauffeur for Truck Company 1 and love it.

What was the most challenging part of the training process?

There were many challenges to overcome when I was a newly certified truck chauffeur. I recall driving the truck back to the firehouse from our training facility after the break-in process. My boss wanted to grab some fast food on the way back to the firehouse. My mind started reeling as to where I would park this large machine. I sized up the restaurant and chose a spot to park but had to go around the block and come in another way. The next side street was narrow with a car waiting at the stop sign. I was in the outside lane and needed to make a right-hand turn. There were a few concerns that I had at this moment. Driving a rear-mounted platform has many challenges. This circumstance required a very tight, right-hand turn while taking into account the bucket over the front of the cab, and keeping a watchful eye in the mirrors to prevent my rear end from swinging into traffic. I slowed down and contemplated this maneuver then proceeded to the next side street. My boss had a smile, as if he planned it, to see how I would react.

How did you overcome that challenge?

Sometimes the best method is to find a better means to not put yourself in a bad spot. I still stand behind that and would probably make that same decision today for the circumstances above. After years of wheeling the truck through the city I have developed a high level of comfort. Experience is only gained by driving to learn your limitations as well as the truck’s. I always tell the junior members, let’s try it and worst-case scenario we can always stop and back out. When it comes to spotting the truck, I quickly learned to take the time to make time. If unsure, always get out of the truck and check your spot before you commit to setting the jacks and flying the tower to merely come up short or miss your objective. If need be, get out of the truck to look or send a member to scout, estimate or measure (I will expand on this in apparatus checks) back-in, adjust, re-position or make the block in search of a new spot to maximize the capabilities of the truck and accomplish your task. Do so by reading the fire and anticipating the direction it is going, whether that be the spread of or tactics that could be implemented. If you

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