Box 690 Rehab Unit

All posts tagged Box 690 Rehab Unit

Kitchener Ontario Fire Dispatch was extremely busy May 5, 2020 with multiple fires coming in minutes apart. Dispatch is responsible for all fire calls in the Region of Waterloo with a population of approximately 610,000. There are three full time departments, Kitchener (7 stations), Cambridge (6 stations), and Waterloo (4 stations). The four township departments are paid-on-call. The largest of these department is Woolwich (6 stations), then Wellesley (3 stations), Wilmot (3 stations), and North Dumfries with one station. Cambridge is contracted to cover 40% of the township for the first hour.

Tuesday, May 5 had been a relatively quiet day for dispatch with just a handful of calls. That all changed at approximately 14:20 when four of the Cambridge stations were dispatched to a possible structure fire at 144 Franklin Street North. Firefighters arrived and reported smoke and fire visible on the E4 side and were informed that homeless people had exited the abandoned building before crews arrived.

Numerous hand lines were pulled to attack the fire which was knocked down in 20 minutes. Access to the house was difficult due to the northbound lane of Fountain Street being closed for construction.

Cambridge’s remaining two stations were dispatched to a brush fire on Hespeler Road at this time, and just to keep dispatch busy, Waterloo was dispatched to an automatic alarm in an apartment building, which was updated to smoke in the hallway prompting a third station to be dispatched.

I was responding to the call and was halfway there when dispatch toned out Elmira, Floradale, and St Jacobs for a possible structure fire at 81 First Street West. Firefighters from the Elmira station reported heavy smoke visible from their hall.

Three Box 690 members were on scene at the Cambridge fire, so I turned around and headed north to cover the Elmira fire where three other members helped me. Elmira had arrived to a fully-involved, single-story group home, with heavy fire through the roof. The Elmira pumper was out for the annual pump test so Tank 612 was first out. One 65 mm and three 45 mm lines were pulled to attack the fire and protect the exposure on the C-side. Elmira’s quint picked up a hydrant on Flamingo Street and setup for tower operations in addition to putting two 45 mm hoses into operation. A passerby alerted residents and staff of the fire and all safely exited the building before firefighters arrived. The fire was knocked down in 45 minutes. Fire is believed to have started in a shed on the E2 side of the building. Photos were taken approximately 25 minutes into the Elmira fire. Box 690 provided rehab at both fires.

house fire in Woolwich Township Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo
house fire in Woolwich Township Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

Kitchener, Ontario P14, P13, A11, R11, Car 123, and Car 124 were dispatched to 111 Traynor Ave for a structure fire April 26, 2020 at 03:05. P14 arrived and reported heavy fire showing from the ‘B’ side of the complex. P14 drove into the park on the ‘B’ side and pulled two 45 mm (1.75”) and one 65 mm (2.5”) line. P13 picked up a hydrant at Wilson and Traynor and laid 1400’ of 100 mm (4”) high vol to P14. P11 was dispatched on the initial report and caught the same hydrant as P13 and laid in 1300’ of 100 mm hose. P11 pulled several 45 mm lines to attack the fire. A11 backed into the main court of the complex behind P11 and setup for tower operations. A11 was fed by a yard hydrant beside their truck.

The fire was through the roof as firefighters were pulling lines and the heavy fire was knocked down in 25 minutes. Crews worked for an additional hour to completely extinguish the fire. Six units were damaged. The fire started at the rear of one of the units and burned up the wall and through the roof. Fire walls and aggressive fire attack limited the fire spread. Damage has been set at $1,000,000, fire prevention officers are investigating the cause. Box 690 provided rehab. Photos and video start 25 minutes into the fire.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690 Canteen

Pierce fire truck in Canada
Dave Westwood photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo
Kitchener Firefighters at work
Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener (ON) fire dispatch toned out New Dundee Fire for a reported corn field on fire at 2316 Queen Street off Bleams Road, April 25 2020 at 11:45. New Dundee reported they had smoke showing as they left town, and requested a full response from Baden Fire. Once on scene, New Dundee Pump 21 set up in a laneway to the east of the fire. A port-a-tank was setup and lines were pulled to the field.

Corn field fire in Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo
Freightliner American LaFrance fire engine in Canada
Gary Dinkel photo

New Dundee Pump 22 drove into the field to cut the fire off from advancing to the south. Baden Pump 612 drove into the field to cut the advance of the fire to the north. Command requested New Hamburg’s tanker, and then a pumper with a full crew to respond to assist at the fire.

Corn field fire in Ontario
Gary Dinkel photo
Freightliner Superior fire engine in Canada
Gary Dinkel photo

Tankers shuttled water from a hydrant five miles from the scene. New Hamburg set their pumper and port-a-tank at the northwest side of the fire on Bleams Road and pulled two lines. Command requested a tractor to till the field creating a fire break. The tractor arrived 40 minutes into the fire.

The fire was declared out an hour after crews arrived. Box 690 provided rehab. Five pumpers, four tankers, and one rescue responded to the fire. Kitchener Fire was dispatched to another corn field fire at Trussler Road and Bleams Road, not far from this fire. They had a quick knock down and didn’t require rehab. This was the third large field fire Box 690 has responded to in the last three weeks. Photos taken 25 minutes into the call.

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

A few shots of a house fire in Wellesley Township, Ontario from February 28, 2020 at 1331 Queens Bush Road. All three township stations on scene, Wellesley, St Clements, and Linwood. Wellesley firefighters had to drive by the fire to get to the fire hall at 1379 Queens Bush Road, six doors up the street. Heavy fire through the roof of house on arrival. Defensive fire fight from the beginning. Shots taken 45 minutes in, after a slow snowy drive to Wellesley. Bitterly cold night, Box 690 provided rehab.

Mike Wilson, Box 690

house fire in bitter cold and snow
Mike Wilson photo
house fire in bitter cold and snow
Mike Wilson photo
house fire in bitter cold and snow
Mike Wilson photo
house fire in bitter cold and snow
Mike Wilson photo

Sunday March 1 was a very busy morning for Wilmot Ontario firefighters. Personnel from all three stations were taking an ice water rescue course across from the Baden fire hall. Kitchener fire dispatch toned out New Hamburg station for a MVC at Highway 7&8 and Nafziger Road around 10:50. New Hamburg responded with a heavy rescue, pumper, tanker, and 75’ quint.

At 11:10 Baden and New Dundee were dispatched to a structure fire at 126 Front Street in New Dundee. The address is half a block up the street from the fire hall. New Dundee came on the air and confirmed a firefighter reported the house had fire showing on the main floor of a large, two-story, century old home. A New Dundee pumper arrived within minutes and confirmed a working fire. Dispatch was asked to check with New Hamburg command to see if they could send their aerial and tanker as water supply for fires is provided by tankers filling from a dam two blocks from the scene. The accident was minor in nature and both trucks were released to assist New Dundee.

Dispatch advised they had a second structure fire in a large driving shed on Bethel Road approximately five miles from New Dundee. The New Hamburg tanker and rescue responded to the second fire, and mutual aid was requested from Ayr with a pumper, two tankers, and their chief. New Hamburg arrived and reported a tractor had been on fire in the driving shed, but quick action by the owner pushing the tractor out of the building with averted a potential structure fire. Ayr was returned before arriving and New Hamburg’s tanker was rerouted back to New Dundee.

The New Dundee fire appeared to have started in the kitchen while the tenants were away. The fire was knocked down quickly and a number of pets were brought out and resuscitated. Crews had hours of overhaul on their hands. The fire worked its way up the wall necessitating pulling all the walls down on the E4 side of the building up to the attic. The fire was not declared out until approximately 13:30. New Dundee P22 set up at the dam to fill tankers. Box 690 provided rehab. Photos taken 25 minutes into the incident, just after fire under control was broadcast. 

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

Canadian Firefighter at fire scene
Gary Dinkel photo
Wilmot Township fire engine
Gary Dinkel photo

Kitchener fire dispatch received a 9-1-1 call for smoke in the area of 744 King Street East on October 27, 2019 just before midnight. A first alarm assignment consisting of Pump 12, Aerial 12, Tower 13, Rescue 11, and Car 123 (PC) was dispatched to the area. Car 123 arrived in the area and asked for any updates on the call, then confirmed a working fire on the corner of King and Stirling. Pump 11 was added as the RIT pumper upon arrival. The fire appeared to start in the basement of the two-story house which housed an insurance company. The fire had already burned through the first floor as crews were pulling multiple 1.75” and 2.5” lines from Tower 13. Firefighters were able to do a quick primary on the second floor, discovered only offices and quickly exited the structure. A12 and T13 both set up their aerials. The fire burned up through the middle of the building and through the roof. P11 picked up a third hydrant to feed T13’s 75-foot aerial. All firefighting was defensive. The fire was brought under control at 02:00. The Ontario Fire Marshall and Kitchener Fire Prevention were searching for the cause of the $600,000 fire. Box 690 provided rehab at the fire. Photos and video start 15 minutes into the fire. 

Gary Dinkel, Box 690

house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo
house fire at night
Gary Dinkel photo

Additional images and a video from the House fire in Kitchener, ON – February 5, 2020

basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo
basement fire at 76 Blackthorne Cres
Gary Dinkel photo