CAMBRIA: Blaze destroys fire engine, damages other fire company vehicles

Cambria

February 16, 2009

By April Amadon<br><a href="mailto:april.amadon@lockportjournal.com">E-mail April</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Mon Feb 16, 2009, 08:19 PM EST

CAMBRIA — Cambria Fire Chief Dale Heiser could hardly believe it when he heard the call come over his scanner.

About 1 p.m. Monday, the report went out that there was a fire at 4631 Cambria-Wilson Road — the address of the main hall for the Cambria Volunteer Fire Co.

“I thought, ‘No,’ ” Heiser said, shaking his head.

Sure enough, a Cambria fire engine, which was parked in the hall’s concrete garage, had caught fire and was burning, filling the air with smoke.

In the wooden fire hall adjacent to the garage, Third Assistant Chief John Presley and firefighter Tom Kovach were in the kitchen preparing for a dinner when they noticed smoke coming from the garage, according to a sheriff’s department report.

Presley opened the garage bay door and realized the engine pumper was on fire.

“By the time they walked back to take a look, they couldn’t even open the doors,” Heiser said.

The call went out for mutual aid, and fire crews from the other Cambria hall responded, along with crews from Wilson, South Wilson, Wrights Corners and Pekin volunteer fire companies.

Cambria volunteers, who are used to fighting structure fires, were initially powerless on-scene, because they couldn’t get inside the garage to get their gear.

“Of course, it makes everybody nuts because they can’t do anything,” Heiser said. “(They) just stood there watching it burn.”

Heiser said he wanted to thank all the firefighters from neighboring companies for their help.

The engine was parked in the middle of the garage, next to a 75-foot aerial truck and two ambulances.

Crews were able to pull out both ambulances and the aerial truck, but both suffered some damage from the flames and smoke.

The engine pumper suffered heavy fire damage.

Heiser said the pumper is worth about $300,000 and is likely a total loss. The sheriff’s report listed the combined value of the other vehicles at $782,000, pushing the reported damage over $1 million.

Heiser said the company will most likely make an emergency purchase.

The county’s origin and cause team responded to the scene, and the fire is under investigation.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

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