An early morning close call occurred at 4am on July 5th when a firework rocket launched near the intersection of Kanis and Ferndale Cutoff landed on the roof of the Ferndale Grocery Store. The rocket lodged at the roof and an adjacent wall where it ignited wood and vinyl siding burning a 4 foot by 4 foot section of wall. This early morning slow fire was spotted when a local caller saw a small stream of smoke on the roof and dialed 911. WPFD was dispatched and extiguished the fire quickly before major damage could occur to the structure. The fire could have grown to a terribly large structure fire compounded by all of the fuel stored at that location. The impact to the owners and the community for the loss of a local business could have been quite devastating. Please use caution and care with fireworks around your property and those of your neighbors!
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Be Careful With Outdoor Burning and Fireworks!
Remember to exercise caution when burning outdoors this summer. High temperatures, low humidity, and windy conditions can turn small controlled fire into a quickly destructive force. Before you burn a pile of leaves or brush, remember that weather conditions can change fast in our state. If you ever loose control of your fire….DIAL 911 IMMEDIATELY!
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New Rescue Vehicles now in service for Hwy 10 and Little Italy Stations
WPFD is very happy to announce the next additions to our response fleet. After much hard work and focused investment in our capabilities, our department has recently received two new rescue vehicles that will serve our department and community well.
Identical in design and construction, the two 2010 Ford F-550 trucks were custom built for our department by Central States Fire Apparatus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These vehicles are now in service since completing installs of department communication and response equipment for medical, rescue, and automobile fire/extrication.
Additionally, these trucks are equipped with high-pressure foam fire suppression equipment to address automotive and other fires. We can use this great new tool for faster fire ‘knock-down’ on wood and chemical/plastic/fuel fires using less water and reducing rekindle (restarts of fueled fire).
Continue reading New Rescue Vehicles now in service for Hwy 10 and Little Italy Stations
Weekday Volunteers Needed: Ask How You Can Help Us Today!
We have a special need at this time for additional people to help us with fire/rescue and medical calls during daytime hours and ask you to join us to help your community and neighbors.
Like many communities, our fire department is made of the people that work for a living. This means a majority of our volunteer force can be out of the area during ‘traditional weekday work hours (7am-6pm).
We would especially like to hear from you if:
- Your job permits you to be available in/around your home area and available to respond during daytime hours
- You work weekends and have a few days during the week that you are available to respond
- You are retired and spend the majority of your time in the community during the day
We will provide the training and know-how. Just contact us to let us know if you are interested at 501-821-9320 with questions or visit your local WPFD station on a Tuesday night (7pm-9pm) for more information.
In The News: School Bus Fire @ Stewart & Burlingame
WPFD was dispatched to Stewart and Burlingame Roads on Monday (4/19/10) for a PCSSD School Bus that caught fire while on the way to school with children on-board. The bus began to smoke from within the engine compartment and the driver evacuated the children quickly before the fire begain to overtake the bus. WPFD was dispatched quickly and worked to control the fire that was fully engulfing the vehicle. Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly but the vehicle was considered a total loss due to the extent of damage. At least there were no injuries to the occupants or driver in this incident. Only one minor injury was suffered by a responding firefighter. The firefighter is expected to make a full and hopefully a quick recovery.
