Published: December 25, 2008 10:23 pm      

Wintry weather can give firefighters fits

Battling a fire is never easy and that formidable task is made more difficult by frigid temperatures, strong winds and rough terrain.

Early Monday, for example, high winds fanned a fire that destroyed a two-story home in Emeigh.

One of the homeowners, Ben Wilshire, chief of the Cherry Tree Volunteer Fire Company, said smoke detectors awakened him, enabling him to escape with his three cats. His wife was at work and their son was staying at a grandparents’ home.

Cherry Tree Assistant Fire Chief Tim Tradgner said strong winds that night contributed to the speed with which the fire spread.

In addition, frigid temperatures that morning caused problems with fire trucks, he said.

In northern Somerset County, Ideal Fire Chief Rich Collins said it’s never easy fighting fires under difficult conditions.

Other factors that affect firefighting are the conditions of the roads and location of the water source, he said.

“Every situation is different,” he said.

Collins said he gives plenty of credit to everyone who volunteers to fight fires.

Paul Kundrod, chief of the St. Michael Volunteer Fire Company, said before wintry weather strikes, his company makes sure that all firefighters have the proper gear to keep them warm and safe.

He said rural roads can make getting to the scene of a fire more difficult because they are not well-traveled and thus are not as passable. Hilly terrain also slows down the response of firefighters, he said.

During cold weather, water being used to fight the fire turns to ice, creating a hazard.

They always ask for a road crew to treat areas where firefighters are working to keep the area as safe as possible, Kundrod said.

If no hydrants are near the fire, the volunteers then have to shuttle water to the scene via tankers, he said. That consumes more time than if a hydrant was in the area.

Gary Thomas, chief of the Somerset Volunteer Fire Company, said they are fortunate in that they have hydrants in his area but, in rural areas, there are few or none.

In rural areas, they have to go to a pond or lake to get water and, if the surface of the water is frozen, you have to chop through the ice to siphon the water, he said.

“Dealing with cold weather is like dealing with extreme heat,” he said.

In the winter, you have to watch that firefighters don’t start suffering from frostbite, he said.

During large fires under extreme conditions, many more fire companies are called to assist than normal so that firefighters can be rotated to keep warm during the winter and cool in summer, he said.