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Saturday Car-Toon: Auto Fire drill

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Laurel VFD makes a video drill out of a SUV fire

Nice job by the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department to make a mini-drill from a SUV fire:

 

The officers of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department thought that the video of this incident could be used particularly well for training purposes.

The original video has been edited to include basic information about car fires and possible dangers associated with them.

Mike "Fossilmedic" Ward

Road Rager Sets His Own Car on Fire

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Trying To Strike Fear With a Flare

A NEW HAMPSHIRE TEEN IS IN A HEAP O' TROUBLE after being charged with felony reckless conduct and criminal mischief.  Nicholas Richer, 18, of Manchester instigated a "road rage" incident on I-93 Monday evening when he cut off another car during an illegal lane change near the Hooksett toll plaza.

The usual indecent gesturing and name calling ensued along with erratic driving and then Richer pulled out what looks like a pistol but was actually a flare gun.  During the name-calling phase of the discussion he waved the gun around and aimed it through the right front window at the other driver before pulling it back.  Just then the flare gun went off, sending the charge bounding around the inside of his own car.

About 20 minutes later the State Police found the car in a gas station parked along the side of the lot.  They noticed that the windshield was smashed out (from the discharge) and some heavy fire damage to the passenger seat which had been occupied by a younger boy during the escapade.  A look around the area turned up a shell casing and shortly after the discovery of Richer himself, hiding in some bushes with his gun.

WMUR-TV describes the story with a Trooper in this video report:

 

He was arrested and then released with a court appearance scheduled for June 4.

The Concord Monitor also has the STORY.

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How to Meet Your Local Firefighters

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But There Are Better Ways Than This:

A COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, MAN was finished with his cigarette while driving through the city Monday afternoon, so he flicked the butt out the window.  But as luck would have it, the wind currents blew it back inside the car where the lit cigarette nestled itself into the rear-seat upholstery.

It was around 4 pm when he first learned about his goof-up and decided to call some folks over to see what happened.  They arrived on Big Red a few minutes later while this home video was cranking:

 

The driver can always blame it on the auto manufacturer for not putting ash trays in the cars anymore.

Thanks to Ron for the video.

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Citizen Rescuers Save 2 in Fiery Crash

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A SPONTANEOUS ASSEMBLY OF NEIGHBORS AND PASSING MOTORISTS sprang into action Wednesday night to save a woman and an infant from a raging car fire.

KGET-TV

The incident began when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and crashed into an auto broadside that was carrying two women and the 1-yr.-old baby.  The cars both careened across the highway and broke out in flames.  Immediately a swarm of citizens converged on the burning auto and heroically beat back the flames while breaking into the car and pulling the victims out while it was in full blaze.

Robert Singleton, 47, was one of the rescuers who got thevictims out of the car. 
“We were strangers coming together to help strangers,” Singleton said. “It was pretty crazy.”

KGET-TV Ch. 17 has this video report on the rescues:

The Bakersfield Californian has a good description of the rescue efforts HERE.

Bakersfield Now has filed this video containing interviews with the primary rescuers:

The infant’s mother perished in the crash, but the baby and the other woman who was driving the car are expected to fully recover.  The drunk driver was uninjured, but he was arrested and jailed, charged with felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.

Something for Everybody to Practice On

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THE BUFFALO GROVE, ILLINOIS, FIREFIGHTERS and paramedics had a classic rescue scenario Monday evening that included:  an auto fire; entrapment; rollover; stabilization; extrication.

Around 6:25 pm a 41-yr.-old woman, according to the neighbors, blew through a stop sign at a high rate of speed, lost control of her car and rolled it into somebody’s front yard smashing into a tree.  A small fire broke out inside the car where the driver was folded into the wreckage and the homeowner dashed out with a fire extinguisher and tried to suppress the flames.

The Buffalo Grove FD arrived in short order and was able to put out the fire quickly before it advanced on the victim while the medics began primary care on her.  The car was on its side necessitating a stabilization procedure while the medics worked and the rescue crew began extricating the driver.

Fire photographer Larry Shapiro arrived on the scene and documented the entire operation with his always-top-quality photos, beginning with the extinguishment,

buffgrove a extinguishment

Followed by the primary care, then the stabilization of the car,

buffgrove b

buffgrove c

The driver was freed by cutting off the roof, even though the car was on its side,

buffgrove d

The driver was transported and has undergone surgery for severe leg injuries, according to the Daily Herald which has the full STORY HERE.

To view Larry Shapiro’s complete photo gallery of 70 images that show much more of this OJT, CLICK HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  Look through the gallery and I think you’ll agree that the Buffalo Grove FD really had their act together.

Auto Fire Brings Rescue Surprise

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WHEN THE RICHFIELD, MINNESOTA, FIREFIGHTERS FROM Sta. 1 responded to an auto fire Sunday night, they had a little “surprise.”  Arriving on the scene they found a car pretty well involved in the rear and filled with thick smoke.  When the officer shined his light into the passenger area, he couldn’t see anybody.  But moments later another FF briefly spotted somebody in the driver’s seat enveloped in the heavy smoke as the fire was entering the rear section.

The crew related their experience and how they managed to rescue the unconscious woman who was trapped inside to a news crew from KMSP-TV Ch. 9 Minneapolis:

The story serves as a good reminder to everybody that it isn’t always “just an auto fire.”  One of Richfield’s chief officers passes along this additional tip:  One thing the first officer on scene stated was that had he flowed water we would have burned the woman.  You just assume that everyone is out of the vehicle, might be a good reminder to tell people to ask questions first and flow water second.

6 Alarms in Rutherford

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rutherford a leader

The Leader

A SIXTH ALARM HAS JUST BEEN STRUCK IN RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, where a difficult fire is burning at an automobile repair and storage facility.  The fire was first reported as an auto fire shortly before 5:30 am, but the first-in units found the fire well underway inside the large facility.

FD response has been continually escalating since they arrived on the scene as they work to contain the fire in the building of origin and attack with multiple aerial streams.  WNYW-TV Ch. 5 NYC has this helicopter report from a couple of hours ago:

Some of the main roads have had to be closed because there are supply lines laid across them for the monitors, as well as some visibility problems in the area from the low-hanging smoke.  The demands of the master streams required the FF’s to lay out to other mains for additional supply.

Nick’s Towing Service has been in business for 36 years.

The Leader newspaper already has a good photo gallery posted HERE.