The on-duty crew of 3 personnel responded in 2 apparatus. Fire Chief Mark Manuel was first to arrive on scene and reported heavy pressurized smoke coming from the home as well as active fire on an enclosed porch area in the rear of the home. A second alarm was requested for a working structure fire and the need for additional personnel.
Upon arrival of the on-duty fire crew at 5:16pm, suppression efforts immediately began after determining that no one was inside the home. Due to the complexity of the construction of the home, the extent of the fire upon arrival, extreme ambient outdoor temperatures, and lack of initial response personnel on scene, suppression efforts were very difficult. Deputy Fire Chief Matt Willings arrived on scene shortly after the on-duty crew. With only 2 personnel able to conduct fire suppression operations initially, Chief Willings assisted in fire attack operations until more personnel arrived on scene.
The extreme outdoor temperatures created a very unsafe environment for fire firefighters. With exhausted resources and the need for additional assistance, Fire Chief Mark Manuel requested a 3rd alarm for personnel and mutual aid assistance from Deepwater Fire Department. Mutual Aid assistance was also requested from Calhoun Fire Department. Both departments combined provided a total of 8 personnel. These 8 individuals were critical to the positive outcome of this incident.
The cause of the fire was determined to be caused by a grease fire that started on the stove in the kitchen. The fire quickly spread throughout the kitchen, into a rear enclosed porch area and spread to the attic of the home prior to the arrival of fire crews. Fire/Smoke damage to the home was extensive. 3 people have been displaced as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the family.
In total, 14 Clinton Firefighters responded to the incident including Fire Chief Manuel and Deputy Fire Chief Willings. A Clinton Firefighter and Calhoun Firefighter were transported to Golden Valley Memorial Hospital for heat related injuries. Both have been released as of the time of this press release and are expected to make a full recovery.
The Clinton Fire Department would like to extend a thank you to Deepwater and Calhoun Fire Departments for their assistance. Additionally, we would like to extend a special Thank You to Golden Valley Ambulance and their crew members that assisted with rehab operations for personnel. These individuals went above and beyond to ensure all personnel on scene were cooled down, hydrated, and medically cleared to perform operations. Thank you to the Clinton Police Department as well for their assistance with traffic control and overall willingness to assist where needed.
In total, fire crews were on scene for approximately 5 hours.
