Volunteer Fire Department responds to house fire

by Leanna Lehman -- The Fallon Churchill Fire Department received a call around 4:45 PM on Sunday afternoon, reporting a house fire on Rogers Road. According to a report from the fire department, firefighters responded to a porch fire called in Sunday afternoon. En route to the scene, crews noticed heavy black smoke coming from the area and called in additional resources. NAS Fallon Federal Fire Department was first on the scene and started on the exterior the structure. By the time that Engine 4 arrived, the house was fully evolved and unsafe to enter. The homeowner, John Rogers, told firemen that he was outside when the fire started. Apparently, flames erupted on the porch and near the hot tub and quickly encroached on the house. In an attempt to retrieve the keys to his truck from inside the structure, he was overwhelmed by smoke and had to retreat. The Engine 4 crew, upon arrival, set entry into the west door, but had to back out due to heavy smoke and fire on the ground. Taking a defensive position, firemen  set upon the exterior of the house. Banner Churchill Community Hospital EMS responded to the scene to assist with heat exhaustion and rehab operations. Fed Fire also brought a heavy rescue truck to provide rehab cover and refill air pack bottles on the scene. According to reports from the fire department, the fire was successfully controlled by approximately 6:10 p.m. However, the structure’s metal roof in combination with light winds made the blaze difficult to extinguish. Several fire personnel suffered from heat exhaustion due to the extreme fire load and temperatures, but were quickly treated and returned to service on the fire. Estimated damages to the structure and contents total over $450,000 with no serious injuries of residents or fire personnel reported. The last unit cleared the scene at 9:24 p.m.     Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon. Never miss the local news -- read more on The Fallon Post home page.