A controlled burn at Pow-Wow Point Lodge caught some residents by surprise recently, and was a learning experience in more ways than one for the Huntsville Fire Department.
With the number of fires on the decline, a controlled burn offers local firefighters valuable experience said Deputy Fire Chief Gary Monahan.
“This particular building was used not only for the Huntsville/Lake of Bays firefighters, but for the Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Muskoka Lakes and Algonquin Highlands firefighters too,” said Monahan. “There was over 200 firefighters training in that building, whether it was live fire, learning how to do overhaul, breaching walls and so on. You can only simulate for so long on a table top or seeing videos.”
The fire department generally receives one building a year to use for training exercises in a controlled burn.
“We only take a building down if we can have it for a minimum of three months,” said Monahan, noting there’s a lengthy protocol that needs to be followed by the property owner as well.
We don’t get the opportunity to sit and watch the growth of fire, how fire travels from compartment to compartment, because when we arrive on scene our job is to put it out. Being able to watch the development of fire and showing the new recruits the development of fire is a valuable benefit for us.
Gary Monahan, Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department Deputy Chief
Monahan said there’s a lot more to a controlled burn then lighting it on fire and watching it go up. Senior firefighters with the department manipulated the building in various areas to prevent it from going up all at once.
“It’s a learning experience for the senior people as well – how to get fire to travel a certain distance, monitoring wind speed – there’s a lot of education that we’re getting out of it.”
There are a number of scenarios arranged in a controlled burn, such as how to do search and rescue, locate a downed firefighter, forcible entry, breaching walls, and ventilating.
“It makes for better training because it’s real life,” said Monahan.
Monahan has been a part of a number of controlled burns and said all have gone the way they’ve intended them to. The department looks at various scenarios that could happen with a building they’re contemplating using in a controlled burn and what could go wrong. If they can’t protect nearby exposures, such as other houses, buildings, and hydro poles, for example, they won’t proceed.
The controlled burn at Pow-Wow Point Lodge has been the largest burn the department has done in a number of years, and, given the lodge’s location, also one of the most visible.
“With social media, we’ve decided now that we won’t send a press release out days before, but now an hour before (a controlled burn to media),” said Monahan. “In giving people that warning, in years past, people show up with their lawn chairs and it becomes a safety and security issue because people want to get that picture. There are dangers of flash over the building, collapse, and if we can’t control the scene it’s dangerous. We stand by not announcing it for that reason.”
Monahan said the OPP and dispatchers were notified of the controlled burn.
“We’re not a bunch of fire maniacs that like to burn down buildings, because if we were we could burn 10 down a year. We want the public to understand the value in these buildings for us is huge. Since fires are way down, other than 2015, we don’t get the opportunity to do real life scenarios, so when we get a building we use it.”
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
Join the discussion: