WPFD worked a structure fire near Burlingame and Col. Glenn road on Saturday, here  August 21st.  The house fire, illness on a steep hill, had limited access for fire-fighters and equipment. Responders from three WPFD stations had help from Crystal Fire Department and Little Rock Fire Department Companies 20 & 21.  The fire was completely extinguished after about 2 hours, but the structure sustained heavy fire, water, and smoke damage.   One WPFD firefighter suffered minor injuries from a fall while battling the blaze.  With no major damage done, the firefighter is recovering well and resting with expectations to be back responding to calls later this week.

KARK has a news report on this fire. Follow this link to view this story:

http://arkansasmatters.com/news-fulltext?nxd_id=343025

An afternoon thunder-storm on Thursday caused lighting that struck the church steeple of the Martindale Baptist Church.  WPFD with help from Little Rock Fire Department and Crystal Fire Department confirmed that the lightning strike and subsequent fire had caused damage to the roof and steeple on the building, but luckily, patient accompanying rains extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.

http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Lightning-strikes-church-on-Colonel-Glenn/9qDE25mZwE6RxOyX3II5JA.cspx

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!

Continue reading Close Call Averted In The Ferndale Area! →

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!

Continue reading Be Careful With Outdoor Burning and Fireworks! →

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 →