Firefighters in South Sumter have had another busy 48 hours with multiple calls to answer.  Two of the emergency runs for the period were MVAs that occurred in the area.   Thankfully no one was seriously injured at either scene, but patient(s) at both were transported to the hospital for minor injuries and precautionary reasons.  The Memorial Day Weekend is only halfway over so more “business” is likely to come our way. 

5-28-2010 – Photo: A. Harvison

Siloam Asst. Chief Hughes and Siloam Treasurer Janell Hughes were coming back home after eating supper and arrived on the scene of this one vehicle MVA moments after the incident occurred.  They called for assistance and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene along with Siloam Fire.  The driver of the vehicle was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.  

5-29-2010 Photo: Skip Holder

Several units from Siloam Fire responded to the 9 mile marker on Interstate 20-59 to assist with single vehicle MVA that involved a group of students from the University of Maryland.  The injuries were minor in nature and Siloam Chief Terry Pendergrass assisted in locating accommodations for the students at the University of West Alabama.

South Sumter Fire Department answered numerous calls for service this past weekend.  Beginning on Saturday night the Cuba Fire Department received a report of a grass and woods fire on County Road 27 at Drummond Drive.  Arriving units found a powerline down in the woods and APCO was notified of the emergency.  Cuba was assisted by units from Kinterbish, Siloam, and Morning Star Fire Departments.  On Sunday, Cuba was dispatched to a grass fire on I 20-59 near the 5 mile marker.  Units from York Police and Fire were also dispatched to the scene.  Cuba Engine 2 arrived on scene to find a very small fire along the northbound side of the interstate.  Through conversations with the dispatcher it was discovered that there were more than five fires set along the interstate.  This is common in the warmed months when tires on transport vehicles fail. 

Sunday Evening the Cuba, Siloam and Kinterbish Fire Departments were dispatched to a structure fire in the Cuba area.  Arriving units found like smoke conditions and confirmed that the power was off to the structure.  Engine 2 arrived and its fan and foam can were used to minimize the damage to the structure.  The family was assisted by the American Red Cross and all units went home for some much deserved rest. 

Maybe this week will be quiet…

Cuba and Siloam Fire Department responded to the scene of a structure fire in the Morning Star Fire District.  Arriving units advised that there was no flame, but that there was smoke showing.  Upon further investigation the first arriving units found that the fire was out and the PPV was placed into use.  The homeowner advised that he had called 911 nearly an hour before the first units arrived on the scene.  Units from Cuba and Siloam were on scene within eight minutes from the call for help, and it is not known at this time what took so long for the call to moved from the primary department to the supporting agencies that responded. 

Due to the action of the homeowner the fire was contained to one room and fire units were able to make sure that there was no extention into the roof and walls.  The homeowner was put in touch with a local Red Cross contact in order obtain assistance. 

Units from Siloam and Cuba Fire Departments spent the better part of four hours Sunday evening looking for a truck driver that had lost his way.  After several phone conversations and the swapping of GPS coordinates with the driver Siloam Captain Curtis Wright drove into the area with his four wheel drive pickup and made contact with the driver on the CB.  After speaking with him for a while he was able to locate the driver and get assistance down into the deep woods to assist him.  The prospect of a wrecker making into the woods was slim so private tractors were used to free the driver and put him back on the straight and narrow.  As usual…  Great Job by a top notch crew!

The question is how did this vehicle get in here?

The driver was almost in a really deep hole instead of just really deep in the woods.

The cavalry arrived!