Working Barn Fire, Howard County, MD.-March 2, 2014

[BCFDphotoman]

At around noon on Sunday March 2nd Howard County dispatched a box assignment for a reported barn fire in the 15100 block of Roxbury Road in the Glenelg section of the County. Units arrived on the scene reporting a 75' X 100' barn with a working fire. As there are no hydrants in the area a water supply was set up on the property and tankers shuttled water from 2 water cisterns in the area. Companies used handlines and knocked the fire down from the exterior until the integrity of the structure was determined to be safe. A firefighter using a tractor on the site pulled the hay bales out of the building and crews wet them down away from the barn. No injuries were reported but 5 sheep were killed in the blaze.

[BCFDphotoman]

Here's the water supply operations under way in the driveway:

Engine 32 and Tanker 3 from West Friendship maintained the site.

[BCFDphotoman]

Tanker 3 dumping their load:

[BCFDphotoman]

Overall shot of the barn. It was block and metal so it didn't burn to the ground as most barns do!

[BCFDphotoman]

Using handlines on the hay bales:

[BCFDphotoman]

Firefighter pulling out a bale to the outside guys with hand lines:

[BCFDphotoman]

Pulling out another one to the other side where it ignited:

[BCFDphotoman]

They pulled some out to the back field:

[BCFDphotoman]

Where more guys doused it with handlines:

[BCFDphotoman]

They also brought a large Gradall from the County Public Highway Dept. to help out:

[BCFDphotoman]

It got pretty damn smokey off and on for the duration of the fire:

Here's Engine 51 from Clarksville supplying Engine 131 up the hill from them:

[BCFDphotoman]

Engine 131, from the newly formed Glenwood Station, was first to arrive at the scene:

 

 

The fire was placed under control at around 3:30PM.

 

That's all for these, I'll be putting the whole fire on my site here shortly. Thanks for looking.

[hank]

Good photos!

 

tHANKs

[gmuhr]

Nice work!

[Guest]

Nice set of photos, especially the tanker dumping his water and the hay blazing on the front loader.

 

"... 5 sheep were killed in the blaze"  The title could have been Fatal Barn Fire ...

[Rheems1]

Here's the water supply operations under way in the driveway:

Engine 32 and Tanker 3 from West Friendship maintained the site.

 

I am preplexed by this picture, didn't West Friendship just get the Water Supply unit from Scaggsville? If that is the case, why were they using an engine-tanker to do water supply and not the freaking unit set up to do water supply??? 

[BCFDphotoman]

I was wondering the same thing. It still has the big hose on it, just not on the reel anymore, and its 4 wheel drive which would have been handy there!

[Guest]

Isn't the Water Supply unit considered a "Special Unit"?  The Eng/Tkr was probably due on the 1st alarm, along with the Tkr. I imagine a Special alarm would be needed for the WS or possibly a "Tkr. Strike Force". The Officers on scene evidently felt things could be handled by utilizing units on scene.

   Another question...Is/was  the WS unit even in service?

[fd7001]

Simple answer about WS-3 is that it's not staffed and up to the volunteers to get it out. Unless it's specifically requested it would typically be one of the last pieces taken by the volunteers.