RV fire highlights safety for first responders

A fire that destroyed an RV in Pine Haven on Friday evening brought an important safety issue to the fore, according to Moorcroft volunteer firefighter Dan Swainey.

“We arrived to find a fully engulfed RV trailer. The owner had attempted to extinguish the fire and was not able to so we were informed of the hazards that were present,” he says.

The warning about ammunition and propane tanks within the burning RV was the best move the homeowner could have made for the first responders and anyone else close to the situation.

“We were able to take measures to protect the first responders,” Swainey later stated.

Swainey advocates sharing such warnings with those there to help, saying, “This is important information for the first responders. Public information is sometimes the only information we get on a fire and it’s valuable…It’s vital.”

The public is asked to be aware that, when the firefighters arrive, making them aware of certain items such as ammunition, propane tanks and oxygen can actually save lives. Ammunition can fire from the intense heat and propane and oxygen tanks can become bombs and shoot shrapnel throughout an unanticipated radius.

Anything out of the ordinary should be reported to the first responders.

Both Pine Haven and Moorcroft responded to the fire, which was put out with no casualties or injuries.