FDL Fire And Ambulance Crews Helped Out At Controlled Burn In Beaver Dam

Fire and ambulance crews from Fond du Lac assisted with the controlled burn in Beaver Dam last week of an apartment building where a fatal explosion occurred. Fond du Lac Assistant Fire Chief Erick Gerritsen was assigned a Division and worked with two engineers in the hot zone keeping the water flow from two fire apparatus trained on the fire for Building 109 of the Village Glen Apartments. He says, “They had everything set up with unmanned lines so the water was spraying with nobody manning them they had sandbags and stuff on the nozzles to make sure they didn’t move. But in the hot zone there was very few people.” Gerritsen says the fire burned hot enough to take care of any lingering chemicals left over from the initial explosion in the building. In addition to a fire crew, Fond du Lac also had an ambulance crew at the Beaver Dam fire station in case there was a call for an ambulance while the burn was going on. Gerritsen says, “So myself and three others members for the fire department were on one engine company. and then we also had an ambulance  stationed at the Beaver Dam fire station because all their entire crews were at the scene.” He says it was an unusual situation because they are used to putting out fires, not starting them.