By Stephen Smoot
In the middle of a month of storms battering Pendleton County, Mon Power held a planned outage for the area in and around Franklin.
Businesses, government offices, and residences, where possible, turned to generators to keep refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and more running as crews performed routine maintenance. At about 9:30 a.m. last Tuesday, the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call concerning a fire possibly involving a generator.
FVFD once again saw a quick response prevent a larger disaster. They were dispatched to an older home on the 300 block of High Street. Within five minutes, Engines 23, 26, 22, and Tanker 23 reached the scene.
The fire breached the walls and consumed the inside of the structure. As Brian DiFalco with the FVFD reported on Facebook, “upon arrival, crews found heavy fire on the rear of the structure and heavy smoke from the entire residence.”
Crews ran a hose to the rear of the home and extinguished the fire on the exterior rear wall, then confronted the blaze inside. A crew “made an aggressive interior attack through the front door.” There they found “high heat and no visibility” as they tracked down flames consuming three rooms in the back of the house.
Although the fire was out by 9:50, crews continued to pump water into the building to ensure that the fire did not reignite.
With homes constructed on that street in close proximity, the timely arrival of the FVFD and the efficient work of firefighters not only prevented the fire from burning the entire home, but also from spreading to neighboring residences.
One resident suffered minor burns, but did not accept transport to a hospital. FVFD units received aid from Upper Tract Volunteer Fire Department, Pendleton County Emergency Rescue, Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management, and Mon Power.
The community also stepped in to assist the crews. Firefighters labored under rising summer temperatures under a hot sun. T&K Markets and Potomac Hardware both provided cool drinks to keep crews hydrated.
DiFalco also praised the help of the staff of Pendleton Community Bank. Since the planned outage prevented the bank from opening, staff went around the county to do community service. Some had already gone to help clean fire departments around the county that day. As DiFalco described, “These employees assisted in cleaning apparatus and equipment after the call.”
Once again, the community showed its ability to spring into action and help. “A successful outcome at a fire such as this is made possible by dedicated members working together while being supported by businesses and residences in our town,” said DiFalco.
