Middlesex firefighters have been busy the last few weeks

House, boat, brush fires

The last three weeks have been a busy time for Middlesex County firefighters, as well as the Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad (MCVRS). Three houses and a boat were destroyed by fires; and on Monday seven brush fires kept firefighters moving.

House fire

On Jan. 16 all four Middlesex fire departments and the MCVRS responded to a house fire at Hartfield near Healy’s Pond.

A neighbor called 911 after seeing flames coming from a home on Mill Ridge Road, said Kevin McNamee, chief of the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD). No one was home at the time.

By the time firefighters arrived flames were coming through the roof, McNamee said. “We couldn’t save it.”

Hydrants

Water tankers were able to refill from a fire hydrant at Fleet Brothers Equipment on General Puller Highway (Route 33) about 1.5 miles away. Being able to refill tankers from a hydrant greatly helps firefighters, said McNamee. The hydrant flows at 600-700 gallons per minute and can refill a 3,000 gallon tanker very quickly.

At the Jan. 30 fire at Stingray Point firefighters were able to hook directly to a fire hydrant to battle two house fires. (See related story.) If there had been no hydrant firefighters would’ve had to set up a portable pool for the tankers to dump their water into, and that water would then be pumped on the fire.

Boat fire

On Jan. 23, firefighters responded to a boat fire at Fishing Bay Marina. The LMVFD used a special nontoxic foam that smothers the fire that works better than water in some cases. The Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department responded and brought a better type of foam to fight the blaze. As a precaution, the Mathews Volunteer Fire Department from Cobbs Creek responded. The MCVRS also was on scene as a precaution.

Attic fire

On Jan. 25 the LMVFD also responded to a chimney fire that spread into the attic at a residence on Lover’s Lane.

Brush fires

On Monday firefighters were called to five brush fires on Grey’s Point Road (Route 3) and two more on General Puller Highway (Route 33) at Locust Hill. All of these brush fires occurred along roads. One burned about an acre, another burned about a half acre. The rest were small fires.

The area’s fire departments and rescue squads depend on donations, fundraisers and volunteers. For a list of departments and contact info, see related story. Scroll to the bottom.