23 April 2008<br/>
Oneco Section, Sterling, CT<br/>
<br/>
Chicken Coop fire, with numerous spot vegetation fires.  Call came in approx. 1245 hrs.<br/>
<br/>
1st Alarm:<br/>
Oneco<br/>
Sterling<br/>
Moosup<br/>
Plainfield -- Tanker + FAST<br/>
<br/>
Additional:<br/>
Moosup Valley, RI<br/>
Voluntown -- Tanker & Forestry<br/>
Canterbury -- Tanker (?) & Forestry<br/>
Griswold -- Tanker<br/>
Jewett City -- Ladder<br/>
Mortlake -- Tanker<br/>
Western Coventry, RI -- Tanker & Forestry<br/>
Foster Center, RI -- Tanker<br/>
Chopmist Hill, RI -- Tanker<br/>
Potterville, RI -- Tanker<br/>
West Glocester, RI -- Tanker<br/>
<br/>
Additional Agencies:<br/>
Moosup-Plainfield Ambulance<br/>
KB Ambulance<br/>
Salvation Army Providence Canteen<br/>
Connecticut State Police<br/>
Connecticut State Fire Marshal<br/>
Connecticut DOT -- setup road closure signs<br/>
Connecticut Light & Power<br/>
<br/>
Apologies if I missed anyone on that list!<br/>
<br/>
Moosup Ladder 194<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230012_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Western Coventry ET 18<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230013_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Plainfield ET 295<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230016_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Moosup Valley Tank 2<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230018_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Moosup Valley knocked down some fire with their trash line, started laying a forestry line into this grove.<br/>
<br/>
Notice the homeowner had also deployed their garden hoses.<br/>
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And the RI Air National Guard is checking out the action.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230020_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Western Coventry's forestry<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230025_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230027_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Moosup's Ladder has pulled up and is resupplying someone's service or forestry that went up a small cow path.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230033_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Mopping up in the grove, opposite side from where Moosup Valley came in.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230036_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Western Coventry ET 18 backing out of the driveway to the chicken coop, having gone up and pumped off a load.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230039_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Oneco's Engine 168 starting to backup the driveway.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230040_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Voluntown ET 353<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230043_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
This is who Moosup's Ladder was resupplying.  Later on Jewett City's Ladder also resupplied them...mustn't have been using much water!<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230046_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Engine 168 laying out.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230050_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230051_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Nice sequence of setting up a drop tank:<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230061_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230062_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230063_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230065_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230070_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
While all that was going on, ET 353 was pumping off it's load through Engine 168 up to the coop.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230076_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Yes!  I saw a picture in Firehouse Magazine circa 1986 when I was just joining that showed Chinese firefighters using leaf blowers.  Last 10 years I've seen them used in hardwood forests in PA & KY and such...and this is the first I've seen in CT.  Rakes? Rakes? We don't need no stinkin' rakes.  (Voluntown Squad 153)<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230078_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Snagging another drop tank.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230086_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230087_small.jpg" /><br/>
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CL&P securing the power<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230090_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
You know, I honestly try to stay out of the way when I'm taking pictures.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230095_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230096_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Relocating Engine 168 -- this way the 5" can be relocated to keep the driveway clear.  They had wanted to put Jewett City up there, but decided against it later on.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230099_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Some dump site operations:<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230105_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230112_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230130_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230141_small.jpg" /><br/>
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<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230148_small.jpg" /><br/>
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This is the driveway ET 295 was feeding; Sterling ET 167 & Tower 267 up the driveway.  In the background are Moosup Valley Forestry, Voluntown Squad 153, and barely visible Moosup ET 194 which came in from another driveway further east.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230173_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Spot fire<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230175_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Moosup Valley's forestry line coming through the grove after they mopped that up.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230180_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
And they went just to have fun wetting down the remains.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230181_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Woods fire stopped.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230184_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to mop up we go...<br/>
<br/>
(Side note:  I wished I knew how well the forsythias would look to the camera...I would've tried to frame some of the pics with them!  I have a few other shots that the background firefighters weren't interesting, but the forsythias were spectacular.)<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230186_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
An exposure.  I don't think it was close enough for the coop to get it, but the brush fire instead.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230190_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Pitch Pines.  This land is meant to burn.<br/>
While I have to believe there were mill fire brigades in Sterling and Oneco before, both departments were formally established in June, 1942 following the May, 1942 wildfires that consumed 60 square miles in this area (mostly in Rhode Island -- set by a fire bug).<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230193_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Western Coventry Tanker 8<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230195_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Leaving me in it's dust...<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230196_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230197_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Moosup Valley's engine.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230199_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Chopmist Hill and Potterville Tankers<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230202_small.jpg" /><br/>
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Moosup Valley Tank 2<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230204_small.jpg" /><br/>
<br/>
Forestry 194 -- Moosup's Mule.<br/>
What a real forestry truck is.<br/>
By the way...it has the second leaf blower I've seen in service in Connecticut.  From a distance looked identical to Voluntown's Stihl.<br/>
<img src="http://www.d90.us/fire/23_April_2008_1011_Providence_Pike_Oneco/P4230237_small.jpg" /><br/>