Quick action by the Tappen Sunnybrae Fire Department prevented the loss of a home and shop on Ford Road on Monday evening.
At 4:19 p.m., the call came in that a tree had blown onto a hydro line and the resulting sparks ignited a forested area.
Seventeen firefighters responded and were able to put water on the blaze right away; however, due to the gusty winds, other fire departments were called as back up.
“Then Mother Nature helped us out. Just as we got water on the fire, the wind died down,” says Fire Chief Kyle Schneider.
This enabled the firefighters to get a handle on the blaze, and then they dug a fire guard around the nearby home and shop. The fire came within 10 feet of the shop before it was contained.
Firefighters then sprayed the area with a special foam to keep the area moist and help prevent any hot spots from flaring up.
The homeowner and his dog were outside the residence when the fire department arrived, but the man was worried for his cats inside.
“The firefighters worked their butts off. I’m very impressed… The homeowner sure was lucky,” Schneider says.