An oil tank fire on Cole Creek Road Tuesday morning was a double downer, as a Natrona County Fire District engine en route to the scene was hit by a tow truck.

The engine was struck at an intersection along the Yellowstone Highway, though no injuries were reported, reports oilcity.news.

A press release regarding the fire states:

“Coal Creek Oil Tank Fire

“July 12, 2022, Shortly before 9:00am, Evansville Fire & EMS along with Natrona County Fire Protection District units were dispatched to the end of Coal Creek Road for the report of an oil tank on fire. While en route, units saw a column of heavy black smoke and requested additional engines for water supply. Due to the location, Converse County Fire Department resources were also requested. Upon arrival, crews found an oil tank fully involved with fire, and noted the location to actually be in Converse County. Engine 12 immediately began hazardous materials fire suppression tactics while Brush 12 monitored the area for extension of the fire into the surrounding grasslands.

“Due to the stable atmosphere of the morning and large amount of smoke being produced, smoke could be seen as far away as Paradise Valley in Casper, prompting many calls into Casper Public Safety Communications Center.

“In all, Evansville Fire Department responded with two structural engines, one brush truck, and a Chief officer. Additional resources from Natrona County Fire Protection District, Bureau of Land Management, Converse County Fire Department, Natrona County Sheriffs Office, Converse County Memorial Hospital, Wyoming Life Flight and many others responded. The success of this incident is a a true testament to the interoperability of agencies within Wyoming.

“Due to the location of the fire, for additional inquiries please contact Converse County Fire Department.”

Alexandria firefighters say the city and its mutual-aid neighboring partners were left unprepared last week, but the Alexandria Fire Department and city officials say otherwise, reports alxnow.com.

The International Association of Firefighters Union 2141 said via Twitter that the city had only two fire trucks and no rescue apparatus in operation.

“**Public Safety Announcement** Currently Alexandria only has 2 trucks and 0 rescue apparatus in operation in the ENTIRE City – with none in the entire eastern half of the city. The safety of the public and our members shouldn’t be put uneccesarily [sic] at risk. FULLY FUND AFD!!”

**Public Safety Announcement**
Currently Alexandria only has 2 trucks and 0 rescue apparatus in operation in the ENTIRE City – with none in the entire eastern half of the city.

The safety of the public and our members shouldn't be put uneccesarily at risk.

FULLY FUND AFD!!

— IAFF Local 2141 (@IAFFLocal2141) July 7, 2022

The report says that the department issued this statement:

“The Alexandria Fire Department maintains state-of-the-art frontline and reserve apparatus fleet. These apparatus are specialized vehicles that can require repair from time to time. On July 6, a heavy rescue squad vehicle required a repair that was completed in a day and a half and then was back in service. During this time, another reserve vehicle was placed into service. A ladder truck went out of service for repair on July 7 and was back in service on the same day. During that time a reserve vehicle was placed into service until the ladder truck was repaired. At no time was there a safety risk to our residents or city personnel.

“The department uses National Fire Protection Association Standards to meet service demands. Regionally, we also share automatic and mutual aid capabilities to maintain public safety within the region, in which various jurisdictions rely on each other for calls for service. The department continues to evaluate the growth of the city and make deployment adjustments to address the community’s needs.”

One Alexandria firefighter who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the heavy rescue squad vehicle was replaced by an empty reserve engine, which only had hoses, according to the report. The firefighter added that, as such, the new truck couldn’t serve as a true fire truck.

City officials say the department didn’t skip a beat.

Read more about the situation here.

A fire late Monday night ripped through the Nicholson Volunteer Fire Department station 2, reports WLOX.

There’s video from a bystander showing the interior of the facility engulfed in flames.

The building, located at Jackson Landing and Huey Stockstill roads, was severely damaged, though no injuries were reported, officials say.

In addition to the station, two fire engines and a brush truck, as well as other equipment, were damaged, according to the report.

Five nearby fire departments responded to the fire. Officials are still investigating the cause.

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