Clancy Volunteer Fire Department Teams With Jefferson City on Equipment Fire

The Clancy Volunteer Fire Department provided mutual aid to the Jefferson City Fire Department to extinguish a burning piece of logging equipment outside Jefferson City on April 27.

Firefighters arrived on scene to discover a fully engulfed ‘feller-buncher’.The operators of the device had attempted to fight the fire early on using fire extinguishers, but after exhausting three extinguishers, the team called 911 to bring in the additional support. The operators were able to assist fire fighters by using bull dozers to clear a line around the fire to clear brush and other burnable debris. Fire fighters from both Clancy and Jefferson City departments arrived, however, only smaller brush trucks were able to make the trek to the remote scene, while the larger structure and tender trucks staged at the creek to support the immediate teams. Multiple attempts were needed to stop the fire, as the metal on the equipment had heated so much, the fire would reignite after a few moments of not being sprayed with water. The fire fighters made return visits to the scene after the fire was out to make certain there were no hot spots that could re-start.

Clancy VFD Assistant Chief Pat McKelvey remarked that fire fighters were fortunate that the weather was cooler than it had been in past days. “If it had been warmer like it was last weekend, we could have had a completely different result,” McKelvey said.

Although the equipment was a total loss, firemen were able to save the large saw attachment from damage. It was also fortunate there were no injuries. The incident should serve as a reminder to always be alert when operating mechanical equipment in a forested area, as the sawdust and needles can collect in hot areas of the machinery and catch fire easily.

photos courtesy of Pat McKelvey

Clancy VFD Stops Ceiling Fire in Forest Park Home

The Clancy Volunteer Fire Department, with support from Montana City Fire and Eagle Ambulance, battled a smoldering fire in a second floor bedroom of a residence in Forest Park on May 1. Firemen arrived on scene to a smoky bedroom in the corner of the house. Using a Thermal Imaging Camera, fire fighters determined there was a definite 'hot spot' in the ceiling, which began to grow quickly during the investigation. A hole was opened up in the ceiling panel, and revealed hot, smoking insulation, apparently ignited by a rafter that had slowly burned nearly completely through. Fire fighters quickly began removing more ceiling tile and shoveling burning insulation matter outside, making certain to extinguish any remaining smoldering items.

The initial investigation suggested that a chimney pipe installed to ventilate a wood stove on the lower floors may have been placed too close to the rafters. The heat from the chimney pipe appears to have burned the supporting wood, which in turn, caused the loose insulation to begin to burn. CVFD fire fighters believe the situation was only minutes away from starting a much larger and more dangerous blaze inside the ceiling panels.

Congratulations to the Clancy VFD Firefighters who recently completed "Fire Fighter 1" Training.

The Clancy Volunteer Fire Department proudly recognizes Jason Gilliland, Chris Kiser and Sam Mitchell for successfully completing Fire Fighter 1 training. This is "basic training", and is one of the most intense courses a fire fighter encounters. This 30 hour course held over the last several weekends at various locations demonstrates the various techniques, tactics and strategies in fighting structural and wild land fires. Everything from ICS, situational awareness, tactical communications, vehicle positioning, SCBA's, even tying knots is covered in the course. Trainees receive classroom instruction from several subject matter experts, and are then required to suit up and demonstrate their understanding of the materials by executing practice drills. Pictured above, trainees are practicing second-story rescues, using the skills learned for ladder and personnel positioning, and SCBA use. This drill involves a model structure with simulated smoke conditions, and a 'victim' on the second floor who must be located and safely extracted from the building down the ladder.

To the right, a fire fighter trainee is shown entering the smoke-filled structure to begin the rescue attempt. Note the positioning of the team near the ladder, and the radio man maintaining constant communications with the team entering the building. Typically, a team of three fire fighters would perform the entry, with another three-man team standing by as a 'Rapid Intervention Team' (RIT). The entry team consists of the front person operating the nozzle and performing the search, while the second team member guides the fully-charged hose. The third team member assists with hose control, and also performs the radio communications.

Congratulations to Jason, Chris and Sam for this accomplishment. The department is proud of you, and appreciates your service!