Let the evolution begin
The Moses Lake Fire Department went through a fire training May 1. The city had owed three buildings on Seventh Avenue that they let the MLFD intentionally burn down for practice. Over 25 firefighters participated.<br>Lana Cromer/Columbia Basin Herald
Moses Lake Fire department torches buildings to gain first-hand experience
MOSES LAKE— For the past two weeks the Moses Lake Fire Department career and volunteer firefighters have been going through "training evolutions" on Seventh Avenue. Thirty firefighters participated in four courses — the last on May 2.
The firefighters had the opportunity to practice on three city-owned buildings that were unoccupied. They ran through numerous drills — including arson investigation, smoke ventilation, fire attack and building collapse training.
"Practicing ventilation is really important," said Assistant Fire Chief Tom Taylor. "A ventilation hole, either from a window or a roof allows the fire to go vertical instead of horizontal. This keeps the fire from spreading in different rooms of a house.".
The firefighters also focused on reading fires to assess danger.
"Smoke from a fire can also tell the firefighters what materials are burning and the progression," Taylor said. But smoke can also be deceiving; it can appear that an attic is on fire when it is actually in a room below."
The firefighters also got a taste of the hazards that come with the job during the training. Contaminates from the burning fire can be very dangerous. Major chemicals such as benzene, which is a know cancer causing chemical, are found in fire and smoke. As a result, firefighters are two-and-a-half to 10 times more likely to contract cancer than the general population.
Firefighters' suits weights 50-60 pounds dry, not including hats and other items firefighters carry to be safe. Fires can reach any where from 300-400 degrees at the beginning of a fire. Once the fire progress, temperatures can rise to 1,500 degrees.
When combating a normal single room fire, a firefighter can easily use 150 gallons of water. The Moses Lake Fire Department fire trucks can hold 1,000 gallons of water which can be emptied in 30 seconds.
At the training evolution on Seventh Avenue, there was an ambulance present in case a firefighter was injured. A firefighter who has been inside a burning building has to be able to cool down for 20 minutes for every hour they are fighting the fire. The ambulance can help firefighters cool down, check their heart rate and start an I.V. if the firefighter is dehydrated.
"The fires were good practice for the firefighters," Taylor said. "Some of the volunteer firefighters haven't experienced cutting an actual ventilation hole or breathing from a air tank in a smoky situation."