Autumn Training: Webbs Mills Firefighters Hone Rapid Wildland and Machinery Fire Tactics

Pine City, NY - Firefighters from the Webbs Mills Volunteer Fire Department took advantage of crisp autumn weather Monday evening to conduct targeted field training focused on suppressing machinery-sparked fires and rapidly spreading wildland blazes in the Southern Tier.

On the evening of September 14, department members participated in scenario-based drills addressing agricultural and heavy equipment fires, with an emphasis on containing the brush and field fires that frequently erupt when malfunctioning machinery ignites surrounding dry grass and crops.

The evening evolution served as a prime operational opportunity to drill with the department's specialized off-road wildland response assets, putting both the primary brush truck and utility task vehicle (UTV) through their paces. Crews practiced rapid off-road maneuvers, mobile pump-and-roll hose operations, and specialized rough-terrain tactics necessary to intercept, corral, and extinguish fast-moving ground fires in areas inaccessible to standard structural apparatus.