Barn Fire

Kendall Fire Department

Barn Fire – Kendall Road

August 24, 2008 – Approximately 2:00AM

In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 24^th, the Kendall Fire Department was dispatched to Kendall Road for a report of tires burning near a barn. This situation quickly turned into a fully involved structure fire with serious exposure problems.

Kendall’s first engine took a hydrant south of the structure, laid-in, and began deck gun operations on the building. Kendall’s second engine took a hydrant just north of the structure and laid-out to the rear of the structure where the front of a second smaller barn was burning from radiant heat. Two lines were stretched extinguishing the second barn with no internal damage. These lines were used to protect other exposures and to extinguish the main fire building. Kendall’s tanker stopped in front of a farm house just south of the fire building and one line was stretched for exposures and then used on the burning structure.

Morton responded from the north on Kendall Road and took a hydrant and laid-in to a home to the north that was being bombarded by heavy embers where they remained to protect that exposure. The Morton Rescue and Kendall Rescue provided scene lighting and equipment.

Holley, also responding as a mutual assistance company with Morton, was directed to respond with their aerial for extinguishment, rather than responding as a RIT team, and aided in finally dousing the remaining fire in the barn. Hamlin manned their fire station to provide fast response to the Morton Fire District and Carlton filled-in at Kendall.

At the height of the fire, a propane tank in the fire vented and then blew throwing debris around the scene. A ball hitch flew out to the road and landed very near to where firefighters were operating. No one was hurt as a result of the explosion, but several firefighters “hit the deck.”
Because of the rapid destruction of the barn, mopping-up operations were soon completed and companies returned to service within a couple of hours after the initial alarm.

Photos and Story by Jerry Clement