Fire! fire!

[dave1949]

No fireman fund dues here either. I think someone in Kentucky mentioned this some time back. I've never heard of it.

Our VFD expenses are part of town budget that is paid for with property taxes and a smidgen of state revenue sharing.

I got involved with our VFD about a year ago. At 63 years-old, zero fire training and no SCBA, I probably ain't going to drag your butt out of a burning building, but I do a mean on-scene traffic control. :laughing: For me, just pitching in to support the community is the thing. I don't take any stipends for it.

 

[daugen]

No fireman fund dues here either. I think someone in Kentucky mentioned this some time back. I've never heard of it.

Our VFD expenses are part of town budget that is paid for with property taxes and a smidgen of state revenue sharing.

I got involved with our VFD about a year ago. At 63 years-old, zero fire training and no SCBA, I probably ain't going to drag your butt out of a burning building, but I do a mean on-scene traffic control. :laughing: For me, just pitching in to support the community is the thing. I don't take any stipends for it.

you and I are the same age, I wish my back was still working well enough to be active. I actually first really ruined it pulling the hood off a 5 series BMW on fire. Except the latch was still engaged. Got it open...and didn't walk for two days. Dumb, but then we were much younger. But I had to stop when I realized I wasn't able to pull my buddy out. Half the dept was heavy so that was a real issue. You try to manhandle a 250 pound guy with both of you in SCBA gear when you have herniated discs that you have to ignore because it is your duty to get that man out. I was afraid I'd let someone down. So then I drove trucks for a couple of years until I couldn't pick up the hard suction any more. So then I did what you are doing, and enjoyed it, though the 3am sleet storms really were miserable. But get out there where you know a lot of the drivers/neighbors and you can have great fun.
Just be careful of the texters and yappers who will run you over.

 

[dusty3030]

If the person who called that fire in saw one of mine they'd have a stroke before they dialed 911.

 

[turnkey4099]

One thing that we have been told is that if you don't pay your "fireman fund dues" yearly that they wont try to put out a fire at your home if it occurs.

Most of us who have ever held an inch and a half get a little nauseous when we hear of this. Where does service to the community come in?
This does happen in certain areas, areas I bet that are not well funded by county or state funds.
Sticker on the front window or door or we watch it burn.
Not on my watch.

We had a wildfire burning in the canyons at the south end of the county. All the county was covered with volunteer FDs funded by taxes. Too bad that south end had refused several times to form an FD. I spent an 8 hour shift explaining to the residents down there who were weeping gnashing their teeth why they weren't going to get free fire service. It even went allthe way to the governor who backed us up.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

If the person who called that fire in saw one of mine they'd have a stroke before they dialed 911.

I heat with wood and have had piles 10ft high and 20ft around. I was cleaning up a grove of big willow that had burned over. Rather spectacular.

Harry K

 

[rekees4300]

Nice fire! Only thing missing is marshmallows.

 

[dave1949]

you and I are the same age, I wish my back was still working well enough to be active. I actually first really ruined it pulling the hood off a 5 series BMW on fire. Except the latch was still engaged. Got it open...and didn't walk for two days. Dumb, but then we were much younger. But I had to stop when I realized I wasn't able to pull my buddy out. Half the dept was heavy so that was a real issue. You try to manhandle a 250 pound guy with both of you in SCBA gear when you have herniated discs that you have to ignore because it is your duty to get that man out. I was afraid I'd let someone down. So then I drove trucks for a couple of years until I couldn't pick up the hard suction any more. So then I did what you are doing, and enjoyed it, though the 3am sleet storms really were miserable. But get out there where you know a lot of the drivers/neighbors and you can have great fun.
Just be careful of the texters and yappers who will run you over.

Good advice on the traffic.

We have a pretty good crew of much younger guys who do the real fire fighting. But I know what you mean, if I saw one of them in trouble, I'd have to do whatever I could. If you can't save your buddies, then you become an added danger, in a way. Better to not force that on someone by knowing our limits.

Having another pair of hands for fetching and lugging, hose washes, truck and equipment checks, keeping the station swept and clean, etc. is appreciated. I never really understood how much labor is involved in all that stuff, let alone the on-scene work dragging out ladders, tools, lights, generators, it all adds up to a pile of stuff to lug while wearing turn-out gear at a minimum.

It keeps me active and fortunately, my back is okay. I have a few groin muscles I need to baby now and then.

 

[YesDeere]

I am actually not allowed to burn so calling it in is not gonna happen. I am going to look into a permit from now on. I am gonna take a couple cases of nice 8 oz fresh burgers over to them boys, first nice spring weekend. They were all really cool guys. They weren't mad at all.

Actually I lie about the permit. I am going back to what I used to do with my brush. See that old silo to the right? "Redneck Chiminea". It's just a pain to stuff when you have that much brush. But you can light that thing off with no problems. Do it at night when the wind is right and no one even knows about it.

 

[RobertN]

Marshmallows?

I'd have a dutch oven on the coals with a nice peach cobbler or similar going

as an aside, has anyone here ever had a real marsh mallow? Not these sugar ones, but one really made from mallow plant?

Wikipedia: "Confectioners in early 19th century France made the innovation of whipping up the marshmallow sap and sweetening it, to make a confection similar to modern marshmallow. The confection was made locally, however, by the owners of small sweet shops. They would extract the sap from the mallow plant's root, and whip it themselves. The candy was very popular, but its manufacture was labour-intensive. In the late 19th century, French manufacturers thought of using egg whites or gelatin, combined with modified corn starch, to create the chewy base. This avoided the labour-intensive extraction process, but it did require industrial methods to combine the gelatin and corn starch in the right way"

Nice fire! Only thing missing is marshmallows.

 

[RobertN]

I have heard of it before too, but not locally.

We have a big district, paid/volunteer mix. All is paid by local taxes. On any given fire, you will have multiple Engines from other agencies showiwng as mutual aid too.

If there is a fire, we put it out and Admin figures the rest out.

No fireman fund dues here either. I think someone in Kentucky mentioned this some time back. I've never heard of it.

Our VFD expenses are part of town budget that is paid for with property taxes and a smidgen of state revenue sharing.

 

[dave1949]

Marshmallows?

I'd have a dutch oven on the coals with a nice peach cobbler or similar going

as an aside, has anyone here ever had a real marsh mallow? Not these sugar ones, but one really made from mallow plant?

Wikipedia: "Confectioners in early 19th century France made the innovation of whipping up the marshmallow sap and sweetening it, to make a confection similar to modern marshmallow. The confection was made locally, however, by the owners of small sweet shops. They would extract the sap from the mallow plant's root, and whip it themselves. The candy was very popular, but its manufacture was labour-intensive. In the late 19th century, French manufacturers thought of using egg whites or gelatin, combined with modified corn starch, to create the chewy base. This avoided the labour-intensive extraction process, but it did require industrial methods to combine the gelatin and corn starch in the right way"

Nope, and I never knew there was an original made from mallow sap--which I'd never heard of either :laughing: It would be interesting to try one.

https://boyercandies.com/mallowhistory.php Mallo Cups, I have eaten Mallo Cups, but had no idea they are related to marshmallows. No hits on google to buy real marshmallows.

 

[dave1949]

I am actually not allowed to burn so calling it in is not gonna happen. I am going to look into a permit from now on. I am gonna take a couple cases of nice 8 oz fresh burgers over to them boys, first nice spring weekend. They were all really cool guys. They weren't mad at all.

Actually I lie about the permit. I am going back to what I used to do with my brush. See that old silo to the right? "Redneck Chiminea". It's just a pain to stuff when you have that much brush. But you can light that thing off with no problems. Do it at night when the wind is right and no one even knows about it.

That's not open burning, that is "heating" the silo in preparation for smoking ducks.

 

[MasseyWV]

If the person who called that fire in saw one of mine they'd have a stroke before they dialed 911.

After clearing some land I had a brush pile like that once, the darned thing burned for three days. :laughing:

 

[michael.white]

From the Hays County (Texas) web site:

"Controlled Burns: If you are planning a controlled burn, do not notify the Sheriff’s Office/Dispatch, as this previous requirement is no longer in effect."

The Hays county restrictions are pretty much common sense (no heavy oils, only during daylight, etc...), although one restriction I don't understand:

"Burning shall not be commenced when surface wind speed is predicted to be less than six miles per hour (mph) (five knots) or greater than 23 mph (20 knots) during the burn period."

I understand why the restriction on more than 23 MPH, but why the restrictions on calm days?

 

[YesDeere]

"Burning shall not be commenced when surface wind speed is predicted to be less than six miles per hour (mph) (five knots) or greater than 23 mph (20 knots) during the burn period."

I understand why the restriction on more than 23 MPH, but why the restrictions on calm days?[/QUOTE]

I know I don't burn on dead calm days because the smoke will just settle and not dissipate. Especially low areas.

 

[RobertN]

In our area, we can burn with a permit. But, it is yard waste only; no household trash etc.

I have been out on a call and had to extinguish a trash pile. That was nasty, smelly did I mention NASTY stuff! Had to wash my gear twice to get the smell out.

The low breeze warning is so the smoke does not just hang there; they want it to dissapate.

The Hays county restrictions are pretty much common sense (no heavy oils, only during daylight, etc...), although one restriction I don't understand:

"Burning shall not be commenced when surface wind speed is predicted to be less than six miles per hour (mph) (five knots) or greater than 23 mph (20 knots) during the burn period."

I understand why the restriction on more than 23 MPH, but why the restrictions on calm days?

 

[Bikewanderer]

Permits are required here. Got spooked a few months ago. Had a house torn down and hauled off, burned the debris. My small piles that I was going to burn one at a time got in the grass and took off. I burned an entire house and three acres of grass was involved before it was under control. Nobody showed up.

The spooky part was that I am not supposed to burn shingles and the emergency dispatch line was not ansering that morning, so no permit was issued. I burned ayway.

 

[Gunny]

We don't have permits here, but you'd better not start any fire without calling central dispatch.

 

[Richard]

I always get a permit. During one of these fires (the one with the double image) I had a legal fire the week before that got out of hand. Called the local volunteer FD and like champs, they came out and put it out. Had their bulldozer with them (something like 4-5 acres lit up on the back side of big hill). They saw that I had yet another huge pile to burn so they figured while they were out, they'd prep my next fire.

Dozer dude took his dozer and cleaned up the edges. Put his ripper down and ripped a trench all the way around the fire. When they left they said the fire was as ready as it could be to burn...other than perhaps rain.

That friday, we had rain allllllllllllllllllllll day. Rain quit at 3:00 or 4:00. I got home and everything was pretty wet at say, 6:00. I started the fire.

Fast forward to 3:00 A.M. and I'm still at the fire. I saw a flashlight bobbing through the woods. Seems someone across the lake thought this side of the lake was on fire and called it in. It was not the fire department but the Sheriff.

Long story short, the conversation was essentially:

"Evening Officer"
"What you doing boy?" (boy? hmm.... not sounding like a good start)
"I'm burning a slash pile"
"yes.. someone from the village (across the lake) called it in.... I've been looking for you for about the last hour"
"ok?"

"What do you plan on doing with the fire?"

(huh?)

"Burn it??"

"how do you plan on putting the fire out?"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

"Well Officer, I wasn't going to. I have my burn permit, cell phone in case something gets out of hand. I also have my loader/backhoe here with me so I can attempt to manage things in the event of something getting out of hand"

"You do know don't you that you're required to be here while the fire is burning?"

(looking at my watch)
"Well officer, it's 3:00 a.m. and I'm here!"

"uh... ok, well.... carry on....."


Personally I think he was looking for a reason to bust some chops. Maybe not mine... but I kept feeling as though he was poking a bit at me. Perhaps the call interrupted his nap or something. Regardless, I had all my basis covered so there really wasn't anything he could do.

He left.

I stayed until about 3:30, maybe 4:00 and then went home to bed.

What you don't see in this picture is I had TWO piles with a dirt "road" between them. I had both piles lit so it was a pretty remarkable fire when they both lit off. Took a while to get them cooking and I found myself adjusting my vantage point to help keep warm (cold night).

I figure permits are my friend.

 

[Rustyiron]

From the Hays County (Texas) web site:

I understand why the restriction on more than 23 MPH, but why the restrictions on calm days?

I don't know about you guy's, but even in a dead calm, the wind gets up as soon as I strike a match!:laughing: Every time.