Columbus firefighters train in controlled burn
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you passed 6th Avenue North in Columbus on Thursday, January 16, don’t be alarmed if you saw smoke.
Columbus Fire & Rescue conducted a controlled burn Thursday morning, January 16, at an abandoned house.
“Just for the younger firefighters, so they can get some hands-on experience. And just to help teach them what to do and sometimes what not to do in a fire,” said Kyler Kidder, a CFR firefighter.
“It’s very important for the life and safety of everybody, just to know what you’re doing,” said Onterrio Lowery, a CFR engineer.
Firefighter Chas Pryce has only been with Columbus Fire & Rescue for a couple of months, so any opportunity to get realistic training is welcome.
“It was great. It was very informative. I got a new respect for fires, and I got a new respect for my coworkers. Because they put a lot into this. They put a lot into the community. So, I’m really proud to be a part of this team,” said Pryce.
Firefighter Houston Ballard has been on the job a little longer but is still learning what to do and how fires act.
“It was good. It was really good. Seeing how close you can get to the fire with the suit on and all your protection gear. It’s crazy how close you can get. I mean I was barely like a foot off and I barely felt it,” said Ballard.
After pouring gasoline, CFR started a fire inside the house.
The new firefighters were able to see how a fire develops.
“If some type of embers or if the fire just seems like it’s going towards say these power lines, I just spray down the power lines or I spray this tree, just so it will be covered, and it would have some sort of fire protection on it for a little bit,” said Kidder.
CFR managed the fire as it grew and made sure the neighbors were safe.
The burn started at 8 a.m. Thursday, January 16, and ended around noon.
The city asked the fire department to burn the abandoned structure to help clear the lot.
