Firefighters were still mopping up the scene of a brush fire Monday morning that burned about 90 acres and threatened several homes in West Valley. According to the West Valley Fire District the fire began at about 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon just off of Cottonwood Canyon Road. The fire started when a controlled burn got out of control after winds picked up in the area.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2018 10:32:57 AM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS 29 Yakima

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—For the Virginia Department of Forestry, the heavy artillery to combat forest fires throughout the state consists of medium duty trucks—primarily Kenworth T370s—and John Deere bulldozers.

The fire dozer is the go-to piece of equipment to cut trenches and lines that keep wildfires from spreading. “Getting our bulldozers to the scene quickly keeps fires from spreading—they are our firefighters’ best friend,” said Danny Fortune, the Virginia Department of Forestry’s transportation officer. “When firefirefighters see the dozers, it’s like how infantrymen in World War II viewed tanks coming in for support. They make all the difference, and we count on the Kenworths to get that equipment were it needs to go.”

To cover all the Commonwealth’s forests—nearly 16 million acres—the agency utilizes 88 transporter/dozer units, 56 of which are Kenworths, purchased through Truck Enterprises Harrisonburg.

Each dozer is mated to a truck, which has a beaver-tail loading ramp. Spread out among three regions in Virginia, drivers of the Kenworth T370s also operate the bulldozers. According to Fortune, the Kenworth’s low profile is an advantage. “We have some overpasses that aren’t very tall,” he said. “One of the procurement requirements was for a truck lower than 13 feet, 6 inches—a necessity since the units must be able to go under all overpasses. Kenworth was the only OEM able to meet that requirement.”

The trucks were spec’d with firefighting and high heat in mind. “These trucks can really get blasted by heat—not often, but it can happen,” said Fortune. “We also spec’d locking differentials—which is needed since the trucks are off-road and need maximum traction.”

The Kenworth T370s are powered by the PACCAR PX-9 engine rated at 330 hp and use Allison automatic transmissions. The trucks are geared for low-end torque to help in pulling power in difficult terrain.

Virginia has two fire seasons, the spring and the fall—Feb. 15-April 30, and Oct. 15-Nov. 30. “Those are the seasons when we’re on high alert—we have high winds and a lot of outdoor burning. In the fall, the leaves are on the ground and dry out, adding more potential fuel to fires. In the spring, the forest floor dries out before the grasses begin to grow. In a three-day period in early March, we responded to 127 fires covering more than 302 acres. We protected at least 78 homes with a combined value estimated at more than $12 million. Most of our wildfires are a result of debris burning. In a typical year, we will respond to 900 wildfires, which burn around 12,000 acres.”

During the “off season,” the Kenworth T370s and bulldozers are on call to help neighboring states. “We all help each other in times of need,” said Fortune. “We also help our federal partners in the state, such as U.S. Forest Service ranger districts that are responsible for 1.8 million acres of land in the the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.”

According to Fortune, mileage is very low on the trucks during the off-season. “We’ll make sure the trucks are run at least once a month to keep everything moving and lubricated, so they are always ready to go when needed. We also promote fire prevention—using our trucks in parades, as well as school programs with our Smokey Bear program.”

For more information, visit www.kenworth.com.

 

One person was injured in a 2-alarm fire that broke out in an Arlington home Sunday night. Crews were called to the 17600 block of 125th Ave NE just before 9 p.m. and arrived to find flames in the basement of the home. One person was still trapped inside the home and was rescued by firefighters. The victim was rushed to an Everett hospital but their condition is not known.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2018 8:37:53 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

By Michael N. Ciampo

Hanover Township lies in the picturesque Wyoming Valley on the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River. It is tucked in between the cities of Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke and has 11 villages, which are located in Luzerne County in the Northeast section of Pennsylvania. Early settlers once used these lands for farming but soon after learned that the area was rich in anthracite or better known as “Stone Coal” because of its toughness. The area was once rich in mining the material and originally was shipped on boats through canals until the arrival of train transportation. Unfortunately the material no longer is mined as it once was, but small areas still exist as well as abandoned mines, shaft ways, and tunnels beneath the earth’s surface.

In January 2018, the Hanover Township (PA) Fire Department had a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opened its new fire station, which cost $3 million. There were some slight delays in building the station because during excavation operations a large open shaft from previous mining efforts was located. Numerous tons of material were needed to fill the site so the station could be built. An old timer and neighbor to the station let the members know that years ago he could hear when mining was being performed under his home. Once the station was built, the department downsized from five fire districts and stations to three. The new station now has consolidated the Lee Park, Breslau, Hanover Green, and Preston fire districts. The Newtown district serves as the north station as the Warrior’s Run Borough serves as the south station.

Truck Company 4 is a 2008 KME Predator Quint, with a 75-foot aerial ladder, Hale 1,750-gpm pump, and 500-gallon water tank. It is powered by a Caterpillar engine and Allison automatic transmission. Its cab has seating for eight firefighters with six SCBA seats. The rig’s rear hosebed carries 800 feet of five-inch large-diameter hose. Located just behind the crew cab are four crosslay hosebeds. Three of the slots are handlines while the last is set up with a TFT Blitzfire portable deluge monitor. The front bumper has two handline options: a 2½-inch attack line is preconnected to the front gated wye, while the other is a 150-foot 1¾-inch Class B foam line with a POK piercing nozzle.

The rig is painted black over red with the aerial ladder also being painted black. The aerial has large gold leaf Hanover Township Fire Department signage attached to both sides of the bed section of the aerial. It’s ROM roll-up compartment doors aren’t painted, but the rig’s black reflective striping runs along the lower side of the front compartment where it transitions diagonally upward and runs towards the rear of the apparatus. The striping is a large black stripe that has a narrow stripe above and below it, it runs along the lower side of the rig’s crew cab. On the two rear side and back-step roll-up compartment doors, large T-4 stickers are attached. The T-4 signage is also attached on the ends of the front bumper. On the crew cab doors there are gold leaf Maltese crosses, and on the front cab door signage states Hanover Township Fire Dept. The front chrome grill has gold leaf Hanover Twp that splits it into an upper and lower section. The rig also boasts a dedication plaque to the members who had the foresight to recognize the need for a ladder apparatus “for the good of the community.” The department’s apparatus also have th