The three wildfires in Okanogan County are all outside the town of Winthrop in the Methow Valley. They continue to grow in size, with the largest of them, the Cub Creek 2 Fire, having grown to 38,671 aces and 5% containment. The Cedar Creek Fire expanded by 3,000 acres Wednesday to 18,634 acres with 11% containment.
- PUB DATE: 7/22/2021 10:14:15 AM - SOURCE: KPQ-AM 560 Wenatchee

A volunteer firefighter was killed while helping a person injured in a crash Wednesday morning when another firefighter backed over her in a fire truck along Interstate 25 (NM), reports abqjournal.com.

Police officials say 59-year-old Janet Tracy, a volunteer firefighter from Caballo, was pronounced dead at the scene. They did not add if the 52-year-old man who ran her over, also a Caballo volunteer firefighter, will face any charges.

Police were investigating a single-vehicle, noninjury crash around 11:30 a.m. on I-25, when the second accident occurred about an hour later.

Tracy was providing aid and support to someone involved in the crash when another Caballo volunteer firefighter was repositioning the apparatus.

Officials are not releasing the identity of the other firefighter, and the incident is being investigated by state police.

The Huron Park (Ontario, Canada) fire station has been temporarily closed after an assessment discovered hazardous substances in the building, reports clintonnewsrecord.com.

Huron Park firefighters and their equipment have been moved to South Huron’s Exeter and Dashwood stations. Officials say all response levels will remain unaffected during the closure of the station, located at 421 Canada Ave.

A report from T. Harris Environmental Management, which completed the station assessment in May, showed numerous instances of asbestos on pipes and in floor tiles in various locations, as well as in grey caulking on exterior doors, windows, and expansion joints.

The report recommended that some asbestos-containing materials be removed or repaired immediately, while in other instances it was safe to wait.

The municipality is working on a fire services master plan, which is expected in September.

The Santa Clara County (CA) Fire Department recently broke ground on a new station in the Redwood Estates Area. The new digs will cover about 21 square miles along Highway 17—including Redwood Estates, Aldercroft Heights, and Chemeketa Park.

The existing station will be demolished in the coming weeks, and the new one will be built on the same site. Construction is set to conclude 4Q22.

“We are pleased to be investing in providing the best service to our Santa Cruz Mountains community as we continue to face unprecedented wildfire hazards,” Brian Glass, Acting Fire Chief, said in a press release. “This new facility replaces the existing fire station built in 1979. It will enable more efficient and flexible service beginning in 2022, and decades into the future.”

Today @sccfiredept @SCCgov and RESA worked together to break ground on the new Redwood Fire Station. As we face another dangerous fire season, our commitment to our Mountain Residents and the county as a whole is stronger than ever.@sccfirefighters pic.twitter.com/spfPRDO84d

— Santa Clara Co Fire (@sccfiredept) July 21, 2021

According to a report from The Times Record, the town of Dresden, Maine, is auctioning off a 1991 Volvo AutoCar tanker/pumper and a 1975 Pierce pumper that was refurbished in 1996 at municibid.com, an Internet auction site for local government agencies and schools to sell their surplus, forfeitures, or confiscated items directly to the public.

Dresden town administrator Michael Faass said the town recently purchased a new $280,000 pumper truck to replace the two aging fire apparatus, prompting town officials to auction off the older models.

Faass also stated that the final sales prices will go into the town’s reserve fund and to community programs and other public safety initiatives.

The current bid on the Pierce pumper is $2,000 based on three bids. It has 16,000 miles on the odometer

The current bid on the AutoCar is $5,500 based on six bids. It has 19,000 miles on the odometer.

The online auction for the Pierce pumper will end on Friday, July 23, while the AutoCar tanker/pumper auction will end on Monday, July 26.