The quick action of the responding firefighters and their coordinated effort prevented a brush fire in Dexter Township on May 10, from reaching some nearby homes.
Dexter Area Fire Department (DAFD) Fire Chief Doug Armstrong told the Sun Times News the DAFD responded to a brush fire in Dexter Township on that Sunday afternoon at approximately 4:14 p.m.
Armstrong said crews were dispatched for a brush fire spreading down a hill and threatening several nearby homes. He said an engine from the Chelsea Area Fire Authority (CAFA) was first on scene and began protecting the homes by wetting down structures and surrounding grass to prevent fire spread.
The location of the fire was off of Riker Road, which is very close to the Dexter Township/Lyndon Township line that separates the two departments. Both respond to those border areas. Armstrong said Chelsea had just finished a call in Lyndon, so they were positioned to arrive first.
“Dexter crews arrived and utilized brush trucks and firefighters with backpack water pumps to extinguish the burning leaves and brush,” Armstrong said.
During the incident, responders located a pole-mounted electrical transformer that had fallen to the ground and was on fire.
“Quick action by the first-arriving crews and coordinated efforts between agencies helped prevent this fire from spreading to nearby homes,” said Armstrong.
There were no injuries and no structures were damaged.
With the transformer, DTE Energy was notified and responded to the scene. Armstrong said power was shut off to allow firefighters to extinguish the fire safely. The DAFD said the cause remains under investigation by DTE to determine whether their equipment was involved.
The responding crews remained on scene for approximately two hours, extinguishing hotspots and checking the area for extension. The fire primarily involved fallen oak leaves and light brush, Armstrong said.
114 North Main St Suite 10 Chelsea, MI 48118
