First responders were called out to a barn fire along 300 West in Daleville around 1 p.m. Tuesday. As crews loaded up and left the scene, a vehicle drove towards them, and the driver of the fire engine tried to move over.

The fire engine hit a utility pole and became entangled in power lines. The two firefighters were stuck upside down for 45 minutes until crews could safely get them out.

According to Lewis, Mowrey and another firefighter, Rickie Taylor, were in their department’s Engine 83, returning from a fire run along Delaware County Road 300-W about 3:10 p.m. Tuesday when the accident took place.  

The incident left the fire truck off the roadway, on its roof.

Emergency personnel were delayed in removing the firefighters – “alert and talking" at the time – from the truck until downed power lines could be shut off.

The department itself added $25,000.00 worth of equipment to their new truck which included 1600 feet of hoses, 20 gallons of foam, and three new ladders: one 24 ft. extension ladder, one 14 ft. roof ladder, and one 10 ft. closet ladder.  

When asked about the new truck, Assistant Fire Chief Rob Cameron said, “It’s going to be a big asset to the City of Union Springs. We’re very proud of it.”

“We want the citizens to know we are all volunteers and work very hard to protect the community,” said Cameron. If there is an emergency most firemen will respond in their own personal vehicles.