It’s a record the Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department hopes it never breaks—three major house fires in 6-1/2 hours—but it happened last Wednesday (Feb. 5).
At night’s end one home, in a remote rural location was on the ground—pretty much the way it was when volunteers arrived that afternoon—and there was serious damage to the other two homes.
But the RVFD was able to save those two homes, one in Rockdale, the other on the FM 1786 “Alcoa Turnoff,” from total destruction. There were no injuries reported, either to firefighters or anyone in the houses.
FIRST TIME—It was a day and night that needed to be put in perspective and Fire Chief Ward Roddam did just that.
“We have never run three working structure fire calls in a 24-hour period that I can recall in my 30-year history of being in the department,” Roddam said. “Each call presented its own unique challenges with the biggest challenge being that our firefighters were greatly fatigued.”
First call came at 3:12 p.m. and sent the RVFD to the Michael Pelzel home in a remote rural location on County Road 304A.
“We arrived to find it virtually on the ground,” First Assistant Fire Chief Herbie Vaughan said.
The RVFD, assisted by the Thorndale VFD, battled against a north wind gusting up to 30 miles per hour in 40-degree temperatures.
Cause of the fire is undetermined, according to volunteers.
ELECTRICAL—It had already been an exhausting day for RVFD volunteers when the second alarm sounded at 7:12 p.m., sending them to a house ablaze at the corner of Sixth and MLK in Rockdale.
“That fire was inside a wall at the back of the house,” Vaughan said. “We are pretty sure it was electrical in nature.”
He said the rental house is owned by Charles Miles.
Less than two hours later the weary RVFD volunteers were summoned again, this time to a 9:41 p.m. alarm at an FM 1786 (Alcoa turnoff) home just south of US 77.
“We are pretty sure this one started around the fireplace area,” Vaughan said. “We could not fight it from inside and had to attack it from the roof.”
Vaughan said volunteers were able to cut the fire off before it reached the rest of the structure.
“Worst damage was in the den area,” he said. “We were able to save the structure itself even though there was considerable damage to about half the house. That’s a plus for a house fire car so far away from town.”
The Thorndale VFD also provided assistance at that blaze.
“We were told the home was undergoing a renovation,” Vaughan said.
WRAPPING IT UP—
Fire Chief Roddam said the RVFD’s long day didn’t end at the final fire site.
“Once these dedicated volunteers return to the station they have to service all the equipment, wash dirty hoses, load new hoses, fill SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) bottles, clean their gear, wash apparatus and then try to get some sleep.”
Because the next call could come at any second.
And they will answer it.
See editorial, page 3B.
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