The crash happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday along Zulla Road in Fauquier County, about five miles south of Middleburg. A firetruck from Loudoun County’s fire department was returning from an emergency medical call. Middleburg’s Engine 603 went off the road, flipped and landed on its roof and hit a power pole. Some homes in the area were without power for some time.

Three rescuers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Like in some other municipalities, Charleston’s previous policy was that fire trucks were dispatched for all medical calls — even though their roles were limited at the scene. Firefighters could stabilize patients until EMS arrived, but couldn’t transport patients themselves.  

In addition, non-emergency medical calls took up a chunk of firefighters’ time. A three-year study revealed that Charleston fire trucks responded to more than 14,000 calls where the person’s life was not immediately at risk.

Investigators told TV station WLOS that the small concrete bridge crumbled under a truck from the Reynolds Fire Department, which was freed from the creek with a crane Sunday afternoon.  

The Weaverville Tribune reports seven fire trucks from three different departments are trapped on the wrong side of “very steep” private driveway and it is unclear how long it will take to free them. Asheville and West Buncombe firefighters are cover shifts in those districts that lost use of their trucks, the Tribune reported.