Units from the Cuba Fire Department and the Siloam Fire Department responded to the scene of a reported wildfire on County Road 1 Saturday afternoon.  Cuba Chief Vaughan arrived on scene to find a fire in the area near the Alabama Power substation.  In addition to the substation, there was also a home near the fire that was exposed.  Asst. Chief Fisher and Firefighter Scrivner arrived with Engine 1 and went to work protecting the substation.  Before the arrival of the fire department the fire had made it into the grounds of the substation and was burning toward the transformer bank.  Units quickly extinguished the fire inside the substation and went to work on the other exposures.  Captain Wright arrived with Engine 2 and made a blitz attack on the fire with the deck gun from the engine.  The 1,000 gallons from engine 2 slowed the fire down and allowed units to gain control of the fire before it could spread any further.  The area the fire burned was relatively small, but the very dry conditions and the heavy fuel load caused the fire to be hot and stubborn.  Operations were slowed due to the power lines that were down in the area, but the fire was held in check until the effect of the water and foam from engine 2, as well as the dozier from AFC put it down.  Cuba and Siloam units were assisted by members from the Bellamy VFD, Cuba PD, and the Sumter County SO.  Kinterbish moved up to cover any assignment that could have come out before the Cuba engines were back in service.  Units from Cuba and Siloam returned to the scene around 2100 hours on Saturday and 0700 on Sunday to put more water on the fire.  A patrol of the fire lines was established and checked at regular intervals to protect the people of the community around the fire.  Below are a few images taken at the scene…

Engine 1 arriving on scene for the second time (2100 Saturday)

Firefighter Bryant and Firefighter Scrivner use the booster real to cool a small spot fire near the road. 

Engine 1’s deck gun taking down the rotten tree that took the power line down a second time.

Cuba and York Fire Departments were called to the scene of a vehicle fire in the Morning Star area on September 22nd.  Siloam Sec/Tres. Hughes responded from the York area and arrived on scene first.  She reported that the vehicle was well involved and that the fire was spreading into the woods.  Cuba Engine 1 with Firefighter Scrivner in charge arrived on scene.  Units from the York Police and Fire Deparmtents arrived on scene to assist.  The vehicle was a total loss, but the fire was halted from running into the woods.  In these dry conditions it could have been a very bad situation if the fire had been able to burn unchecked for much longer. 

Engine 1 arriving on scene.

Firefighter Scrivner making the attack and being assisted by York PD Asst. Chief Shaun Roberts.

Cuba Firefighter Scrivner and Kinterbish Firefighter Walter Winn are loading Engine 1’s crosslay before leaving the scene.

When the tones go off you never know what you might be rolling into.  At times we get lulled to sleep by the monotony of the average medical call or abandoned structure fire.  However, every now and then a call shatters the “sleep” that you were enjoying and brings you right to the front.  Today one such call rang in for the firefighters of South Sumter.  Cuba Chief, Reid Vaughan, arrived on scene and advised that light smoke was showing from the structure.  Before he could take his hand off the mike he noticed a victim lying on the ground and requested an ambulance be dispatched.  Kinterbish Firefighter W. M. Scott arrived on scene to assist just ahead of Cuba Engine 2 with Firefighter Scrivner in the drivers seat.  Arriving firefighters quickly put out what remained of the fire and Firefighter/EMT Chris Cherry went to work on the patient.  Cherry found that the patient had extensive burns to his arms and small burns to his face.  Northstar Ambulance arrived and the patient was transported with Cuba Captain/EMT Levin Culpepper riding in with the crew.  Firefighters from the Cuba, Siloam, Kinterbish, York, and Morningstar Fire Departments reported to the scene of the fire. 

What made this call any different from the countless others we run…  The occupant of the house has a young man named Wykene Bell, Jr. to thank for his saving his life.  This young fellow spotted the fire and alerted his father and mother.  Together they retrieved the victim from the burning residnce and worked to control the fire prior to the arrival of the first engine.  It was the efforts of this young man and his parents that saved a life and the property from fire.  Young Mr. Bell has been entered into the running for the Cuba Fire Department’s Medal of Merit, which is the department’s highest award given to a civilian. 

Our new recruit…  Wykene Bell, Jr.  Thanks for looking out for your neighbor!

Firefighters Scrivner and Scott, as well as Captain Brooks, place scene tape up around the trailer.

Damage to the room where the occupant was sleeping.

Firefighter/EMT Cherry and Firefighter Scott outisde of the structure.  Siloam Captain Brooks is checking out the wall that had been removed earlier and can be seen in the window. 

Northstar Paramedic Ryan as well as Firefighter/EMT Cherry treat the patient prior to transport on the ambulance.

Units from Cuba, Siloam and Kinterbish answered seven calls for service over Saturday and Sunday.  Two of those incidents involved MVAs with injuries and the rest were medical calls or other incidents.  The men and women who serve this portion of Sumter County answer many calls for service that go unnoticed.  We are always looking for a few new faces who wish to join our ranks and make out community a better place.

The two MVA incidents resulted in the victims being transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  The medical and rescue side of our response efforts account for a ever growing portion of the call volume for our departments and certainly provide service opportunities for those who don’t wish to engage in traditional firefighter activities, but sill wish to serve their fellow man. 

MVA in Cuba on Sunday.  Both occupants were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Siloam Engine 1, heads out for the MVA with injuries on Alabama 17 Saturday afternoon.