Firefighters typically put fires out, not start them.

 

But that’s what happened Dec. 8 in Clearwater Twp. when the Clearwater Fire Dept. burned an old farmhouse.

 

“Brent Anderson of Anderson Trucking called me up earlier in the summer and wanted to know if we were interested in burning a house down,” says Clearwater Fire Chief Ryan Pridgeon.

 

Any time the department can use a house burning for training is a bonus, says Pridgeon, so they went through all the details to see if it was possible.

 

“The state requires an asbestos test. We have to develop a burn plan and contact the DNR, MN State Patrol and Wright Co. Sheriff’s Dept.,” he says.

 

They also have to inspect the structural integrity of the building for safety. In this case, the old farmhouse, located off Hwy. 24 not far from Clearwater Twp. Hall, had been sitting vacant for over 30 years. It had no running water or electricity, but it was structurally strong enough.

 

On the day of the burn, about a third of the department took part in the operation. 

 

“Instructors went in seven times and started a fire. Then guys went in and put the fire out,” says Pridgeon.

 

The instructor accompanied each team to observe their actions.

 

“He didn’t tell them what to do. He just observed. After that, they had a debriefing about what they did right, what they did wrong, what they learned and what to try next time,” says Pridgeon.

 

The house was burned to the ground in 20 minutes, but during that time, the younger department members got some valuable experience.

 

“The burn is great training for the guys. We do a lot of classroom training and hands-on stuff,” says Pridgeon, “but actually getting in there, feeling the heat, finding the seat of the fire and putting it out the most expedient way possible - you can only do that in a structure fire.”

 

Pridgeon says the newer firefighters learned things like managing their air supply, how to drag hoses through the building, ventilating and how to operate in an older structure in winter conditions.

 

“And the debriefing helped them cement what they learned in their heads,” he says. “It was a great learning experience.”