By Timothy M. Meinch
photo by Timothy M. Meinch
Multiple fire departments worked together to secure a perimeter around a brush fire threatening at least five homes and a propane business in East Asheville Wednesday, April 7.
“A tree fell on a power line, the power line came down and set the woods on fire,” Swannanoa Fire Chief Anthony Penlaand said. “With the houses involved, if we would have delayed it could have been a whole lot worse.”The Swannanoa Fire Department arrived at Tunnel and Briggs roads moments after Reynolds Fire Chief Vince Carter and his crew around 7 p.m., securing the RCRV Propane Gas building and the homes in danger, the fire chiefs said.
“The fires came up to within a few feet from the houses,” Carter said on the scene. “The crews got here pretty quick and got the fires stopped next to
the houses. It was a little hairy at first, but it got knocked down.”
After foaming down several outdoor propane tanks, the crews utilized Briggs road as a line for the perimeter and limited the burn to three acres using back burning, Penland said.
“Our goal with a forest fire is to get a line around the fire,” the 42-year-old chief said. “Any fuel between our line and the main body of the fire we set on fire, to burn up the fuel.”
By 10:30 p.m., the crews secured a 100 percent perimeter with less than 50 percent of the flames remaining, Carter said.
“We're lucky nobody's been hurt, no houses were lost and we're all good,” the Reynolds Fire Chief said. “The forest service will take over doing the mop up and stuff and we'll get out of the way.”
Other fire departments on the scene included Riceville, Fairview, Black Mountain, Reems Creek and Woodfin. This wild fire was at least the third in Western North Carolina last week, putting significant pressure on area fire departments and forest services.
“We're lucky nobody's been hurt, no houses were lost and we're all good,” the Reynolds Fire Chief said. “The forest service will take over doing the mop up and stuff and we'll get out of the way.”
Other fire departments on the scene included Riceville, Fairview, Black Mountain, Reems Creek and Woodfin. This wild fire was at least the third in Western North Carolina last week, putting significant pressure on area fire departments and forest services.
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