Sugarhouse Fire

[WF MASON]

I saw on the news this morning of a sugarhouse fire in Otisfield Maine,the pictures showed just the basestack standing, is that anyone here on the trader?

[Flat47]

Just saw that, too, on the news. Said it was on Bell Hill Road??? Sad to see. If anybody has contact with them, please extend my offer to help any way I can.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Reminds me of Charlie Wagner in Wisc he had a fire and the Fire dept was hosing the place down and he was begging them to just keep the evap full of water. The dept said that their job is to save structures and not contents:mad:

[KenWP]

I always love to watch a firedepartment destroy a house putting out a fire. The last one I was at was 35 below zero and it went all through the celings and then the fake floor joists went. Sort of hard to do much when the floors in the basement.

[Bucket Head]

Thats too bad about Mr. Wagners sugarhouse and evaporator.

There's always a few members on every fire dept. that like to destroy things needlessly.

Years ago an elderly neighbor had to go to the hospital. The fire dept. showed up along with the ambulance crew. He lived in an old farmhouse and one of the interior doors of his house would'nt open up fully because it rubbed the floor. One of the firemen went out to the truck and got an ax. He was going to start hacking at the door casing to remove the hinges and the door! I could'nt beleive it.

Just as people were clearing out so he could start swinging, I said "why don't you just pull the hinge pins and take the door off that way?" As you can imagine, I was'nt very popular after saying that. I ruined that guys day pretty quick.

Some guys just like to wreck stuff, and when it belongs to someone else, they really enjoy wrecking it. I don't know why that is.

Steve

[KenWP]

I had a goofy incident this summer with a empty empty propane tank. When I took it off the BBQ it gave off a little scent . Long story short she who must be obeyed called the firedepartment and they showed up with 30 guys and a ambulance and such. I told them there was no propane and that I have gas tickets and they still had to run around checking. They were going to bust the front door down of the house since it was locked and I asked if they might like the key. They never looked like sheep when they were done and then they emptied their fire hoses on my bloody wood pile then left.
When the neighbours house burnt down they pulled up with the fire truck and this kid jumps out and hauls all the hoses off the truck in a pile. It's 35 below and they are trying to find enough cloths in the back of the equipment truck so the fire cheif asked me if I could possibly help him. So I had all the hoses untangled and ready for when they finally got water there and they got dressed. Then the Surete tried to give me a ticket for haveing a Alberta drives license. Not my favorite fire department.

[3rdgen.maple]

I don't want to pick on the firefighter's but heck I gotta tell a story too. A few years ago a chimney fire started in this house in town. Firecall went out and the whole department showed up except the chief who was on vacation. They got to the house and nobody was home. While one was breaking the door down a few others were smashing windows out to get inside. A lady next door was screaming in her yard the fire is at my house not that one. Now that ain't the funny part. The funny part is when the fire chief came home and found his door smashed down and windows broke. Adrenaline does funny things to people sometimes.

[ebourassa]

my first sugar shack aka my shed burnt down last winter 12/19/2008. Thats were i made my first syrup before building my sugar shack, That night i just finished plowing the driveway with my 06 kodiak 450 and put it away in the shed about 30 min later my wife asked if i let the lights on in the shed i looked and it was glimmering light oh s#$t thats fire, by the time i got there the whole seat of the quad was in flame around 3 feet high needless to say the shed was all post and beam 16X20 white pine, by the time i could grab a fire extigusher it was too late, it jumped to shed and with about 12"of fresh snow the fire dept had a hard time getting there, by the time they arrived it was pretty much down. It gave me a new found respect for fire, now safty is the key, i now park my new atv in the middle of the yard after everysnow storm. Its sad to say i know how it feels to lose the stuff you collected over the years.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Im going to catch some crap for this but up in Wisc. I have a spot light in my coupla and when the steam is rolling out and its dark and the light is on its a way of letting friends know the beer is cold.........well the Baileys Harbor Basement savers came by twice to make sure there wasnt a fire. :emb: Im happy they are looking out for me so Im not dogging them better safe than sorry:) Only one came by the day I burned my mouse infested pop up camper with the help of 10 gallons of No2 diesel. Now that was funny

[KenWP]

In my home town in Alberta a guy out side of town had a fire. It was new years Eve and they couldn't find anybody to drive the firetruck. Sober.
My boss was a member of the fire department in town and one day the firealarm went off and he got tired of listening to it. So he goes and checks what the call was about since nobody that was supposed to was picking up the phone.
Well there is this kid sitting behind the wheel of the truck and clamped onto the wheel. he answers the phone finds out's a false alarm and then asks the kid what the hell he,s doing. He says I'am driving. Well you would have needed a tow truck to remove him out of there if you had of wanted to.
This same firedepartment took the tranny out of the brand new first response 4 wheel drive truck by practiseing to climb hills in high gear. Oh did I mention my brother in law was the fire chief.

[Bucket Head]

"Took the tranny out of the brand new...". Another fine example of a select few morons putting our tax dollars to use.

Wether its fire apparatus, police cars or DPW equipment, there are a thousand stories out there like this one!

Just amazing.

Steve

[KenWP]

You don't want to get me started on cop cars and military vehicles and town trucks. The RCMP won't change a tire they drive it to a tire shop to get it fixed. Last one I seen had to beads of rubber around a wheel.

[johnallin]

Hey hey...I am not a fireman and I may catch a bit of crap here too, but that's OK with me. How about we spread spin some good tales about firemen and such, they are pretty important guys when everything is going up in smoke and you can't get in to save anything because you're either too scared or not equiped.

This is getting a little one sided, and I'd hate to think that we all get a bad rap due to this thread with the guys we may need to call in someday to save our as##es..

Just my 2 cents.......next?

[BryanEx]

Well said John... wish I'd beat you to it. My home insurance rates actually dropped due to the rep of the local volunteer fire department. Seems they've won awards all across the country (Canada that is).

[KenWP]

Wish I could but 10 times burnt it's hard for me to do that.

[Bucket Head]

I'm not griping about all those agencies collectively. They all serve an important purpose. I have several good friends that are either firemen, EMT's and law enforcement. God bless them!

I'm talking about the few that are in every bunch that give those agencies the bad reputations that come from their poor decisions and actions.

Steve

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have a Class 5 fire rating from our local volunteer fire dept, so paid full time fire depts don't have that good of a rating. Sure makes a difference on insurance premiums and I appreciate their hard work.

[Rhino]

My 2 brothers are volunteer firefighters, I looked into joining years ago and finding out how much time is involved decided not to. I would never run down anyone's profession (or volunteer work) that deals with peoples agony such as their house and property going up in smoke, or useing jaws of life to get a family member out of a mangled car. One time they had to look for a foot in the ditch that a motorcyclist had tore off his leg. unsung heroes. just my opinion........hows the sap running???

[Haynes Forest Products]

OK OK I can say from experiance when your a kid trying to make a incubater out of a 100 watt light bulb shoved into a tin can packed with newspaper and rags with a few pidgeon eggs in a shoe box things tend to get hot. The fire dept would have gotten there sooner if my dad gave them the address when he called them (1963 no caller ID):mad: They put down tarps and put the fire out Gutted the top floor of the house and said it was an electrical fire:) Came clean with mom and dad after 30 years:lol: I did try and donate Syrup to the fire house in town and they said the only use food from a select few stores.

I will also say that when your calling a volunteer dept and you have a grass fire its best to include the North or South in the discription. I had Sturgeon Bay fire dept that was 12 miles away show up before the guys down the road. Jacksonports finest was a little pissed to see the big shinny trucks out in the field putting out the fire. SORRY. And last but not least when I set my brother on fire with some gas (it was an accident) my older brother and I put him out with dirt and sand so we didnt call them that time.

[Turtlecreek]

My turn, if you look at the bottom of my signature you will see what angle I'm going to attack this problem at.

First I am the captain of my fire deratemt, and I have a degree from a acredited college ( not a cracker jack box) in emergency services. I have been on the job for 19 years through college high school and now my adult life. I am the also the training officer of my department and spend way too much time away from my wife and two young children.

That being said the stories that have been printed here really come down to one maybe two things.

The first thing is training, the first thing we teach to all fire fighters during forcable entry classes it "try before you pry". This meaning that you should actually try to turn the door handle before you bust in someones door.

The second is communications, a fundimental skill in any bussiness weather it being fire fighting or making maple syrup is communicaions. If you don't tell you firefighter the correct address, if they don't hear the correct address, if you give them bad orders or if they don't follow you orders you have communication break down.

Now lets look at fire fighting as making maple. It takes years to train to get this hobby right. Someone has to communicate this to you and must communicate it well. If your mentor does not train you to identify a maple tree you may be trying to make pine syrup, and I think getting 66 brix out of pine sap would be pretty hard. If no one teaches you how to watch stack temps or you syrup temps you will more than likely be spending alot of quality time cleaning your pans.

Now, I'm not going to say that there isn't some idiots out there that are running around being Mr. Macho. Adreniline and having you blinders on can make you look like a total a#@ at a fire and can be hazardous to your health. I myself have witnessed my firefighters acting like idiots and I have had to sit them down in my office more than once and give them a reaming.

I hope that this hasn't gone on too long. I hope everyone has a bit of appreciation for your local departments no matter how screwed up they are. Just think of it this way if you ever, god forbid, get into an accident and are trappend in your car or trappend in your house when its burning theswe are the same men and women that will be there by you side at your worst time to hopefuly save your neck. I encourage everyone to volunteer and you to can have the upmost appreciation for what I and so many others like me do for our communties.

Father of 2, devoted husband, gas company empolyee, maple syrup producer, Captain 205, Training officer, Maintenance officer, Vice President,

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Either way, we should be more supportive of our volunteer fire fighters that are putting their life on the line many times to help others they don't even know and don't get anything in return other than the satisfaction of helping others. Seems like some on here are way too critical. Everyone does stupid things and makes stupid mistakes, we're all human.

[KenWP]

Your probbably right but rights don't make wrongs right or how ever that goes. Some people have been extremely hurt by others and it sours it for us for life. Maybe we can just all shut up so that nobody gets hurt worse.

[johnallin]

I think we just need to stay with the thing that has drawn us here.....making maple syrup. Too much cabin fever and everyone's getting cranky.

[Turtlecreek]

Ok truce, let's get boiling! My trees are running and it's going to snow so that means boiling in the snow yipee!!

[jdj]

Last summer while working in the sugarbush I had a bad accident. A tree fell on my leg, fracturing my fib, tib and ankle in over fifty places. Until the day of the accident I had never needed assistance from my local volunteer fire dept or any fire dept for that matter. There was no way that I could get out the woods without being carried, I was along ways from the road in some nasty terrain. My father called the fire dept and they came right into the woods, applied a temperary splint and carried me out of the woods on a back board and brought me to the emergency room in the rescue.

Since that day I have alot more respect for fire departments!!!!!

[MapleMounder]

Just a quick reminder there are almost 1 million firefighters in the USA today, of which roughly 80% are volunteer, they do it for little or no pay. There aren't volunteer and career standards, we all take the same tests and certifications. I am a 4th generation firefighter and Chief in my family, my family and my department take our service to our citizenry with the up most importance. I am sorry some of you guys had a bad experience with a local FD. Unfortunately there are some bad FD’s in this country like there are a few bad cops, a few bad teachers, a few crooked corporate execs, etc. Please don't assume all firefighters are bubbling hillbillies!

[archangel_cpj]

I am a full-time paramedic and EMS captain on the local FD and I can tell you there are all types there is a well funded fd down the road that couldn't save a house if they tried then you get to our FD and we have a crack extrication team that competes internationally (even against canadians who are really good at cuttin cars!!!!!) We train 60 - 80 hours a year and do a good job of savin homes but then you get the ones where FD night is once a month and its poker nite too. We train 4 days a month once a week... I know we train full time depts to extricate because our team cuts like 30- 40 cars a year in just training and it pays off we built a dedicated extrication truck (heavy Rescue) and two weeks later had a nasty smash up 2 critical patients who we were able to technically extricate simultaneously and call in for a dust off within 15 minutes we had 2 pts cut out packaged and in the air on the helos.... Then theres the dept down the road they had a wreck where a trainer I know was stuck in traffic and he walks up its all the young line officers not even a LT and they are lookin at this person in a car alive but trapped... The trainer is like whats the plan the FF look and say we dont know what to do we were hopin someone would come along.... All comes to training and leadership!!!!

[maplekid]

although im not a certified firefighter i am trained just as everyone else in vehicle extrication,pump operations,hose operation,scene management. we have lost houses in the past but sometimes people just get to much going on in there heads and dont call the fd until the structure is fully involved. we had that instance a couple months back. guys house was on fire and didnt call in time and by the time the first pumper was on scene it was almost burnt to the ground. now there is fd that dont know how to handle a situation properly and some may have personel that might not be trained in a certain things, my fd holds training every monday night and discuss and show how procedures and operations are done pump operations is one thing we stress. you never know some department may only have a few trained pump operators. this is the reason that EVERYONE at my station is trained in pump procedures/operation just as they are trained in using hurst tools. dont let one depts incopedance(spelling?) reflect on anothers. i personally would never judge a firefighters job. cuase ive seen first hand the stuff they go through, firefighters do the job that noone else would want to do whether its running into a burning building or pulling a lifeless person out of a smashed vehicle. i give any firefighter my upmost respect and gratitude. and you guys should too. whether you will or not is up to you but you never know when the fire dept might have to save you.

[TapME]

I saw on the news this morning of a sugarhouse fire in Otisfield Maine,the pictures showed just the basestack standing, is that anyone here on the trader?

I think that the topic is just a little off the subject. I thought this was a bout a fire at a sugar house here in Maine. You guys need some sap to keep you busy.

[MapleMounder]

TapME, We are obviously a little passionate about the Fire Service and your right we do need some sap. I drilled a few holes yesterday and the sap ran out, looks like were in business!:)

[Haynes Forest Products]

someone needs to burn their shack down to get back on track:lol:

[Frank Ivy]

I had a goofy incident this summer with a empty empty propane tank. When I took it off the BBQ it gave off a little scent . Long story short she who must be obeyed called the firedepartment

Wow. Just a big, long wooooooooow.

Does she also whip you into calling the fire department when you get a whiff of gasoline after filling up at the corner station?

I mean, a whif of propane when you remove a tank on a grill - that is presumably OUTSIDE!! - is . . . wait for it . . . EXPECTED.

I'm sorry - I can deal with a bit of irrational emotion from my wife on occasion, but that is just bizarre.

[TapME]

hey i'm impreesed with fire depts too, my freind and family had a fire call 911 and 45 minutes later they showed up to the fire and it was out by freinds and sholvels fulls of snow. Some times the impressions are better than other. Everyone was safe and that's what matters, the rest can be had again. But back on track with the sugar house fire.