April 15, 2011 - Group Effort
With a little help from local businesses, firefighters come together to halt a fast spreading fire and save the home of a Hardy woman.
By Laurie Edwards - The Laker Weekly
At first glance, the ground appears to be covered in black mulch. Then the smell hits -- like the one lingering in the air after a bonfire.
About 10 acres of property were left charred between Buff Creek and Juniper roads in Hardy after an April 4 brush fire. Trees are blackened about two feet up their trunks, and foot-tall pine saplings have little chance of survival.
Bad as it is, it could have been worse, according to area firefighters.
The woods stretch for acres in all directions, leading to residential developments including Walnut Run and a large horse farm. The closest house, not 50 feet from the edge of the blackened ground, was spared.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I expected to drive down my driveway and for my house to be gone," said Karen Whitecotton, who owns two of the acres involved. "I spent so many years trying to build a home for myself here in Virginia and I thought everything was going to be gone."
She spent a gut-wrenching 90 minutes driving from her work in Buchanan to her Hardy home that afternoon after she received a call informing her that her property was on fire. There were two cats in the house and a 6-month-old puppy outside.
Whitecotton said she was prepared for the worst when she reached her driveway, a 310-mile stretch through the woods.
"I expected chaos," she said. "I expected if someone was fighting a fire that people would be running all over the place."
Instead, Whitecotton said the roughly 40 firefighters appeared to be working in such a focused and unified fashion, "it was like this thing was rehearsed."
Five volunteer fire departments -- Boones Mill, Burnt Chimney, Moneta, Scruggs and Marine Fire/Rescue -- and a pair of paid Franklin County career personnel responded to the scene, said Daryl Hatcher, Franklin County's director of public safety.
In addition to the roughly 40 firefighters, there were about 10 EMTs from volunteer rescue squads and a member of the Virginia Department of Forestry.
Hatcher said while the number of firefighters was not unprecedented, it is unusual to have so many fire departments working a scene. He said they were required because the fire occurred during the day, with the call coming in around 1:30 p.m. Many volunteer fire departments don't have a lot of personnel during the day because members work, said Hatcher.
"During the day, we will have an availability within our department, a lot of time, of eight to 10 men," said Everett Wilson of the Burnt Chimney Volunteer Fire Department, who was one of the first on the scene. "After 4 o'clock in the evening, you could have as many as 25 or 30."
Hatcher said all the firefighters worked together as one unit, directed through their radios by the scene commander. The steep terrain worked against them, said Hatcher, as did the distance from the lake. The SML Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department was able to pump lake water into fire truck holding tanks from two of its fireboats.
The ground was bone-dry from lack of rain, which helped accelerate the spread of the fire that was ignited by a power line on Whitecotton's property, said Hatcher. The wind was gusting more than 40 miles per hour, feeding the flames and spreading the fire in different directions.
"[Wind] doesn't just complicate; it makes it dangerous," he said. "Of course, when you're downwind ... and all you're doing is breathing smoke, you can get in trouble pretty quick."
The two career firefighters, in fact, were treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital that night for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion, said Hatcher.
Because it was a brush fire, the firefighters laid fire lines around the perimeter in an attempt to contain it, said Hatcher. They doused the flames and hot spots with water and used hand tools and a bulldozer to spread the embers within the containment area so they would burn themselves out.
"The size, the terrain and the weather, I guess those were three things that come together to conspire against us," said Pete Lewis, one of the Moneta Volunteer Fire Department members on scene.
Wilson said the firefighters from the various departments worked side by side for about six hours until the fire was fully extinguished. He said there was a time when members of some departments didn't get along, but today there is a camaraderie on and off the job.
"We're not really a brotherhood, but we call it a brotherhood," said Ray Talley, a member of SML Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department. "When the chips are down, we will certainly do whatever we can to help one another."
Last week, the community came to the firefighters' aid. As they worked, Teresa Tyree, mother of Billy Tyree, a Burnt Chimney volunteer fire fighter on scene, started worrying about his well-being. She called three SML businesses and asked for a supply of food and beverages. The Bojangles' at LakeWatch Plantation sent free iced tea. It supplied chicken at a discount, said Deborah Russell, senior vice president of Arrington Enterprises. She said the Arrington-owned restaurants regularly offer public safety personnel, both on and off duty, 50 percent off their orders.
Lorenzo Altadonna, owner of New York Pizza in Moneta, made 15 cheese and pepperoni pizzas, which he supplied free of charge. Food Lion at Westlake Corner sent ice and water.
"These folks that sacrifice, especially in the volunteer fire departments, they need all the help they can get," said Jason Carter, Food Lion store manager. "At some point, it might be my house, your house or somebody else's house we know and I think we need to support that all we can."
Wilson said he thinks many people in the community don't understand that the volunteer fire departments aren't fully funded by the counties. Each department receives a set amount, but it's not enough to cover all of the new equipment (a set of turnout gear and an air pack can cost more than $6,000.), repairs, training, utilities and gasoline required to run a station.
Lewis said volunteer fire departments are critical, not only to protect lives and properties, but to keep taxes down. He said if every firefighter on the scene last week were paid, it would cost the counties and the taxpayers more than $1 million per year in salaries. And that, he said, is just for the 35-plus on scene that day; equip the whole county with paid personnel and the cost skyrockets.
Whitecotton said she's always donated to volunteer public safety departments, although before last week, she had interacted with them only once when she needed an ambulance at her house.
"Two things you always give to: police and firemen," she said. "You want them there if you need them."
Last week, Whitecotton did. And she said she will forever be thankful.
"If it had not been for them, I think everything would have been a loss," said Whitecotton. "I'm faring better than anyone could have ever expected."
With a little help from local businesses, firefighters come together to halt a fast spreading fire and save the home of a Hardy woman.
By Laurie Edwards - The Laker Weekly
At first glance, the ground appears to be covered in black mulch. Then the smell hits -- like the one lingering in the air after a bonfire. About 10 acres of property were left charred between Buff Creek and Juniper roads in Hardy after an April 4 brush fire. Trees are blackened about two feet up their trunks, and foot-tall pine saplings have little chance of survival.
Bad as it is, it could have been worse, according to area firefighters.
The woods stretch for acres in all directions, leading to residential developments including Walnut Run and a large horse farm. The closest house, not 50 feet from the edge of the blackened ground, was spared.
"To be perfectly honest with you, I expected to drive down my driveway and for my house to be gone," said Karen Whitecotton, who owns two of the acres involved. "I spent so many years trying to build a home for myself here in Virginia and I thought everything was going to be gone."
She spent a gut-wrenching 90 minutes driving from her work in Buchanan to her Hardy home that afternoon after she received a call informing her that her property was on fire. There were two cats in the house and a 6-month-old puppy outside. Whitecotton said she was prepared for the worst when she reached her driveway, a 310-mile stretch through the woods.
"I expected chaos," she said. "I expected if someone was fighting a fire that people would be running all over the place."
Instead, Whitecotton said the roughly 40 firefighters appeared to be working in such a focused and unified fashion, "it was like this thing was rehearsed."
Five volunteer fire departments -- Boones Mill, Burnt Chimney, Moneta, Scruggs and Marine Fire/Rescue -- and a pair of paid Franklin County career personnel responded to the scene, said Daryl Hatcher, Franklin County's director of public safety.
In addition to the roughly 40 firefighters, there were about 10 EMTs from volunteer rescue squads and a member of the Virginia Department of Forestry.
Hatcher said while the number of firefighters was not unprecedented, it is unusual to have so many fire departments working a scene. He said they were required because the fire occurred during the day, with the call coming in around 1:30 p.m. Many volunteer fire departments don't have a lot of personnel during the day because members work, said Hatcher.
"During the day, we will have an availability within our department, a lot of time, of eight to 10 men," said Everett Wilson of the Burnt Chimney Volunteer Fire Department, who was one of the first on the scene. "After 4 o'clock in the evening, you could have as many as 25 or 30."
Hatcher said all the firefighters worked together as one unit, directed through their radios by the scene commander. The steep terrain worked against them, said Hatcher, as did the distance from the lake. The SML Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department was able to pump lake water into fire truck holding tanks from two of its fireboats.
The ground was bone-dry from lack of rain, which helped accelerate the spread of the fire that was ignited by a power line on Whitecotton's property, said Hatcher. The wind was gusting more than 40 miles per hour, feeding the flames and spreading the fire in different directions.
"[Wind] doesn't just complicate; it makes it dangerous," he said. "Of course, when you're downwind ... and all you're doing is breathing smoke, you can get in trouble pretty quick."
The two career firefighters, in fact, were treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital that night for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion, said Hatcher.
Because it was a brush fire, the firefighters laid fire lines around the perimeter in an attempt to contain it, said Hatcher. They doused the flames and hot spots with water and used hand tools and a bulldozer to spread the embers within the containment area so they would burn themselves out.
"The size, the terrain and the weather, I guess those were three things that come together to conspire against us," said Pete Lewis, one of the Moneta Volunteer Fire Department members on scene.
Wilson said the firefighters from the various departments worked side by side for about six hours until the fire was fully extinguished. He said there was a time when members of some departments didn't get along, but today there is a camaraderie on and off the job.
"We're not really a brotherhood, but we call it a brotherhood," said Ray Talley, a member of SML Marine Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department. "When the chips are down, we will certainly do whatever we can to help one another."
Last week, the community came to the firefighters' aid. As they worked, Teresa Tyree, mother of Billy Tyree, a Burnt Chimney volunteer fire fighter on scene, started worrying about his well-being. She called three SML businesses and asked for a supply of food and beverages. The Bojangles' at LakeWatch Plantation sent free iced tea. It supplied chicken at a discount, said Deborah Russell, senior vice president of Arrington Enterprises. She said the Arrington-owned restaurants regularly offer public safety personnel, both on and off duty, 50 percent off their orders.
Lorenzo Altadonna, owner of New York Pizza in Moneta, made 15 cheese and pepperoni pizzas, which he supplied free of charge. Food Lion at Westlake Corner sent ice and water.
"These folks that sacrifice, especially in the volunteer fire departments, they need all the help they can get," said Jason Carter, Food Lion store manager. "At some point, it might be my house, your house or somebody else's house we know and I think we need to support that all we can."
Wilson said he thinks many people in the community don't understand that the volunteer fire departments aren't fully funded by the counties. Each department receives a set amount, but it's not enough to cover all of the new equipment (a set of turnout gear and an air pack can cost more than $6,000.), repairs, training, utilities and gasoline required to run a station.
Lewis said volunteer fire departments are critical, not only to protect lives and properties, but to keep taxes down. He said if every firefighter on the scene last week were paid, it would cost the counties and the taxpayers more than $1 million per year in salaries. And that, he said, is just for the 35-plus on scene that day; equip the whole county with paid personnel and the cost skyrockets.
Whitecotton said she's always donated to volunteer public safety departments, although before last week, she had interacted with them only once when she needed an ambulance at her house.
"Two things you always give to: police and firemen," she said. "You want them there if you need them."
Last week, Whitecotton did. And she said she will forever be thankful.
"If it had not been for them, I think everything would have been a loss," said Whitecotton. "I'm faring better than anyone could have ever expected."
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