Firefighters save home on windy day

LIND – A house and shop were spared Tuesday, July 22, when Adams County Fire Protection District No. 2 firefighters and other volunteers worked together to put out a fire during afternoon high winds.

Assistant Fire Chief Rubben Labes said the page went out around 12:30 p.m. for a fire on 5th Street, west of the middle school, that burned up mostly weeds before threatening a home and a shop. Labes said when the fire got inside the shop, they had to break in to the building owned by a couple who reside in Tri-Cities.

"It caught the south wall on fire inside, so we had to cut the lock off to get inside. Then we had to pull part of the wall apart inside the shop to get the walls out," Labes said. "It pretty much burned all around the house, but we saved the house."

Labes said they were challenged not only by a windy day, but the city had the water off due to a broken main line.

"We had two water trucks from the outfit that's putting up the windmills. They helped put out the fire, that was a good thing," Labes said. "Four of our trucks were up there, plus a tanker. And Brian Borth brought in a truck with a tank on it so we could get water. They were harvesting up there, just over the hill."

Labes said 10-12 firefighters were fighting the fire, on scene until about 4:30 p.m.

"The wind didn't help. A bunch of railroad ties were on fire, and it burnt some trees. Not very often do we have a forest fire," Labes said. "It was a close call. We could have lost the shop and the house, but we got 'er out."

Lind City Clerk Kylie Buell said repairs to the water line were made and the water is back on.