Hot training ground

Powell Volunteer Fire Department 1st Lt. Nate Mainwaring, left, and Delray Jones, right, and a firefighter I couldn’t ID in front, kept the flames in check during an intentional fire Saturday.

Onstine Farms, LLC., asked the boys to burn down an old house and barn, and they did it.

It was training for the newbies. Rookies that need to experience a structure fire firsthand. They entered the blazing, smoking building wearing oxygen packs and the appropriate apparel designed to protect them.

Spooky.

Imagine crossing the threshold of a blazing house. Smoke so thick and black it would take a sharp knife to cut it.

Your intrepid reporter, always Johnny on the Spot, was decked out in an old pair of old bunkers. You know, the fire-retardant coat, pants, boots and helmet. It was fun and scary at the same time. I felt sort of like a mascot or maybe a Dalmatian.

It is reassuring to see them out there, acting with the confidence thanks to abundant preparation. Those guys train all the time. Of course we only see them when they respond to an emergency.

I may be a little biased because I know these fellows through my coverage for the paper. But, I believe they deserve a hearty thank you for not only their dedication, but also their grit and knack for remaining cool in extremely stressful situations.

Check out the story in Tuesday’s Powell Tribune.