Structure Fire at Ernst Conservation

West Mead #1 was dispatched around 8:00 a.m. with several other departments to assist Vernon Central at a structure fire at Ernst Conservation. West Mead #1 responded with 28-13 and 28-12 and nearly 20 members. 28-13 arrived on scene and was directed by 23-4 to begin stretching foam lines into the fire building. 13’s crew stretched the 2 1/2 blitz line along with the front bumper line and worked with Vernon Central crews extinguishing fire in the front of the building. Further investigation revealed that the fire had extended through a conveyor system that processes biomass. Crews then stretched two additional lines from 28-13 into the fire building to begin suppressing fire in the production system. 28-13 was supplied by 23-5 while 28-12 and Cochranton engines 4-21 and 4-22 completed a 4″ relay to French Creek. Crews worked for several hours extinguishing the fire in the conveyor system, finally using the piercing nozzle from 28-12 to extinguish the remaining fire in the conveyor system and flooding a containment area that moves biomass into the conveyor system.

In all 28-13 utilized 850′ of 1 3/4″ and 2 1/2″ hand lines and 28-12 stretched 1,000′ of 4″ supply line in the relay. After extinguishment and cleanup all West Mead #1 crews and equipment returned to service at 1:00 pm.