Training fire planned at vacant home on Saturday

By Brandi Makuski

Residents and motorists near The Windsor complex should expect to see black smoke and a heavy presence of firefighters this weekend.

The Stevens Point Fire Department is hosting a training burn throughout the day on Saturday, Nov. 25 at the vacant, donated single-family home at 5278 County Hwy. HH, just east of the Hoover Rd. intersection.

The event is being planned by Division Chief Anthony Ewing, the head training officer at SPFD. Several Plover firefighters will also attend the training.

The last time local fire departments joined for a live burn training was in February. Ewing said the training opportunity doesn’t present itself often because of all the steps involved. Once a vacant home is offered up to a department for training purposes, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources needs to inspect the property to ensure asbestos abatement and other public safety concerns have been appropriately addressed.

The National Fire Protection Association also requires a specific number and type of fire officers and certified instructors on a scene prior to a live structure burn.

But it’s a training experience that can’t be duplicated, Ewing said. It will provide firefighters a chance to study fire behavior and suppression, search and rescue, incident management, communications, and other response-related disciplines in a controlled environment.

Area motorists and residents should expect large amounts of smoke in the area, and possible visibility problems while driving.