Golden Valley Fire District ~ News

Structure Fire Dugas Rd. at Zuni Rd.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:04:00 +0000

Photos by Butch Meriwether:
8 Firefighter Matt Gore attacking the flames

11 Firefighters Cody Wood and Matt Gore turn their attention to the structure that has fallen down
23 Firefighters Cody Wood and Matt Gore extinguish the remaining portion of a wall

Narrative:
Following five residential structure fires in July, Golden Valley Firefighters started August with a bang, being called for the sixth home fire in the last five weeks. Thursday morning just before 8:00 am, on the way into the office, Assistant Fire Chief Ted Martin spotted a column of thick black smoke rising several hundred feet into the air approximately three miles north of Hwy-68, near Egar Road. Martin reported the structure fire via radio, which was at the southeast corner of Dugas Rd. and Zuni Roads. Firefighters quickly connected to a fire hydrant on the way into the fire, and extinguished what was remaining of the reportedly unoccupied double-wide dwelling. Golden Valley Fire Marshal Randy Osborn is investigating the fire as suspicious because the home was reportedly abandoned and had no power. There were no injuries and the building was totally destroyed. Anyone with information should contact the fire marshal. Golden Valley Fire Officials stated none of the fires appear to be related.

Unattended Candle Causes Home Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Photos (from top):
With the remains of the structure fire next door in the background, Captain Dave Cunningham discusses what was discovered after extinguishing the fire

Firefighters exit the home in the background while Captain Dave Cunningham discusses cleanup efforts

Firefighters (left to right) Matt Gore and Bryon Kimber exit the structure after extinguishing the fire

Chief O’Donohue discusses the recent rash of neighborhood fires with across the street neighbor

Narrative:

An unattended candle in a Golden Valley home started a fire, which Firefighters quickly extinguished, Sunday afternoon at 3873 N. Bowie Road. Ironically, this fire was next door to a fire that occurred just weeks before. The son of the owner was home at the time of the incident and did the right thing, according to Battalion Chief David Martin. Martin said; “He ran next door to the neighbors to report the fire”. Neighbors called 911 and reported the fire while keeping the young man away from the home. Arriving firefighters reported nothing showing when they arrived, however upon entering the home, discovered smoke from floor to ceiling. Crews confirmed there were no occupants still inside the home, and extinguished the fire in the main living area. Fire Marshal Randy Osborn was called to conduct the final investigation, confirming the point of origin was indeed a 10-inch candle. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue reports that candle fires account for a significant amount of fires in the home, advising candles should never be left unattended. There were no injuries from this fire reported, and damage was kept to a minimum due to quick reporting to 911 and swift actions of firefighters.

Exploding Gasoline Can Destroys Pickup Truck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Exploding Gasoline Can Destroys Pickup Truck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 22:23:00 +0000

PHOTO:Firefighter-Paramedic James Childers extinguishes fire in the cab.

NARRATIVE:
July 17th 2013, at approximately 5:10 pm, Golden Valley Firefighters extinguished a truck fire that reportedly began as an exploding gasoline can inside the pickup truck. After the first gasoline can exploded, the fire quickly spread and engulfed the late model Dodge pickup truck. A second gasoline can, which also exploded and was found approximately 50-feet from the pickup, started a grass and brush fire. Black smoke could be seen for miles as firefighters responded to the area of Tombstone and Chemehuevi Roads. The truck is a total loss, and there were no injuries according to Golden Valley Fire Battalion Chief David Martin. The cause is under investigation.

Midnight Fire Destroys Golden Valley Home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 22:23:00 +0000

Photos:

Pic #5 (top):         The scene when firefighters arrives minutes after dispatch
Pic#11 (center):         Molten Magnesium metal explodes, sending molten metal across property
Pic #27 (bottom):        Captain Boyd Lewis and FF Gifford work through debris to extinguish fire
Narrative:

Golden Valley Firefighters were busy beginning at the stroke midnight Sunday night when they were dispatched to a fully-involved structure fire in the 1300 block of South Dugas Road. When firefighters were dispatched, they could immediately see the flames from as far away as 10-miles. The first arriving fire engine reported a fully-involved structure fire with exposures. “The home, garage type structure and contents were well involved despite a rapid response,” reported Assistant Chief Ted Martin. Firefighters worked on extinguishment operations until about 4:00 am, assuring all the hot spots were eliminated. In all, 13 fire personnel responded to extinguish the blaze. The home is considered a total loss, although other structures on the property were spared. There were no injuries and the fire is under investigation.

Early Morning Structure Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Monday, July 8th at approximately 4:00 am, Golden Valley Firefighters responded to a reported brush fire around Hermit & Stewart Mountain Road. Instead of a brush fire, firefighters discovered a fully involved travel trailer and garage-type structure nearly burnt to the ground on Teddy Roosevelt, just north of Mesa Verde Drive. Firefighters quickly extinguished the remains, preventing the fire from spreading and starting a brush fire. Chief O’Donohue reported the Golden Valley Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate. There were no occupants in the travel trailer and the property owners were not on-scene during extinguishment operations. The trailer and contents were a total loss, and no injuries were reported.

Structure Fire Challenges Golden Valley Firefighters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 22:59:00 +0000

PHOTOS (from top):
Firefighters arrive to find heavy smoke coming from underneath and from the attic area, work being done on hot-spots after the fire was extinguished, overhauling the interior, pulling ceiling tiles to look for fire extension

NARRATIVE:

Golden Valley Firefighters responded to a structure fire at 3887 N. Bowie Road at 8:00 am on Tuesday, July 2nd after a neighbor discovered the fire, initially thinking the homeowner was having an illegal burn. Firefighters arrived within two minutes to discover the underside of the doublewide on fire, as well as the bedroom and attic area. The initial crew made entry and determined there were no occupants, which was later confirmed by neighbors who stated they were on vacation. Firefighters were forced to enter the building from the side that was well involved in fire due to a large volume of storage in the front room, which is counterintuitive, according to Chief O’Donohue. Despite strong winds which accelerated the fire growth, the fire was declared under control with thirty-one minutes of arrival, saving the majority of the structure. O’Donohue reported that three engine companies, two water tenders, three chiefs, fire marshal, and several off-duty personnel responded to quickly mitigate the fire. “We take no chances when it comes to saving homes or ensuring firefighter safety”, O’Donohue said. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Golden Valley Firefighters Handle Hazardous Materials Release

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 22:55:00 +0000

PHOTO:
A plume of Ammonia gas can be seen escaping from a leak at the Griffith Energy Plant while Firefighters begin to make entry.

NARRATIVE:
Golden Valley Fire firefighters responded to an Ammonia leak at the Griffith Energy Plant in the Golden Valley Industrial corridor near Mile-Post 37 on Hwy-40 Sunday June 30th in the evening at 6:30 pm. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue reported that, according to Griffith Energy officials, a nipple on a half-inch pipe for an Ammonia tank failed causing the moderate release of approximately 5,200 pounds, or 6,000 gallons of Ammonia into the atmosphere. The release initiated the evacuation of the Griffith Plant as well as the precautionary notification of the Arizona State Prison, Praxair and ADOT of the incident should there have been a catastrophic release of ammonia according to Chief O’Donohue. O’Donohue reported Golden Valley Fire, Kingman Fire, DPS and Griffith Energy Hazardous Materials Teams made entry into the Ammonia plume created by the leak. MCSO assigned a sergeant, who assisted with plume monitoring around the plant. O’Donohue stated hazardous materials operations are slow and deliberate to assure the safety of both firefighters and citizens. O’Donohue stressed, while precautionary measures were put in place, at no time was the public in danger because the Ammonia plume was kept on site. The hazard was eliminated just before 9:00 pm.

Moving day for Golden Valley Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:33:00 +0000

June 20th, 2013

Today’s move was planned nearly 8 months ago when the Golden Valley Fire District Board of Directors approved a plan brought to them by Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue to construct a new fire station, ultimately located at 3480 Bacobi Road. The new “Station-11” will replace the Mayer Road station that was constructed in 1979. “The new fire station location better serves the community” said O’Donohue, outlining how this moves covers the SoHi area which, until now, was outside the 5-mile distance to qualify for lower insurance rates. It is one of three full-time firefighter/paramedic staffed fire stations, the others are Station-12 at 749 Egar Rd and Station-13 at 2790 Oatman Road. The Golden Valley Fire District’s Public Safety Training Center located at 423 S. Colorado Road, is planned to fill a void as well as part of a strategic plan to bring lower insurance rates to a growing section of Golden Valley according to O’Donohue. The new station, which cost approximately $830,000, has an estimated value closer to 1.5 million dollars as estimated by Board member Steve Robinson. The difference between the value and the final cost was due to consistent attention to cutting costs, and use of inmate labor that saved approximately a half-million dollars in labor expenses alone. The new 12,000 square foot fire station boasts six bedrooms, large kitchen, exercise room, large dayroom that can double for training and meetings, larger captain’s office, firefighter report and study room, and space for up to eight emergency apparatus. The Administrative offices will remain at the old facility while the Board considers options to expand to meet growing needs. An open house for the public is planned for early July.

Brush Fire Slows Hwy-68 Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Golden Valley Firefighters quickly extinguish a fast-moving blaze Tuesday, just before noon, on Hwy-68 between Tooman and Bryce Roads. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue stated an ADOT employee reported the fire, which began on the north side of the highway. Firefighters arrived within two minutes of dispatch, and the fire had grown over ten times its original size. O’Donohue stated the Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, which slowed traffic for about 30-minutes, while firefighters extinguished the fire and looked for hot-spots to prevent re-ignition. There was no damage to any property due to this fire.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:11:00 +0000

Photo by Butch Meriwether:

Golden Valley Firefighers/Paramedics on scene of a rollover accident.

Narrative:

Golden Valley Fire District personnel was requested to the scene of a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 40 Eastbound, milepost 32, at approximately 3:30 pm on Friday, May 16th. The lone occupant of the vehicle refused medical transport after the vehicle rolled several times, landing upright on its tires.

MVA Hwy-68 Near Teddy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Photos by Butch Meriwether:

Golden Valley Firefighter/Paramedics and ambulance crews treat the injured driver.

Narrative:

Golden Valley Fire District personnel responded to a single-vehicle accident on Westbound Hwy 68, between Colorado Road and Teddy Roosevelt Road, Thursday at approximately 6:00 pm. The lone 34 year-old male driver of the 2002 Ford Focus lost control and slammed into the concrete barrier of the bridge. The driver was extracted by fire personnel and transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, per Battalion Chief David Martin.

Breakfast with the Fire Chief

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:53:00 +0000

Golden Valley Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue will be at the El Rancho Café located at 4248 Hwy-68 on Monday May 6^th at 7:00 a.m. to meet with patrons for about an hour. The idea came to O’Donohue when he and Fire Marshal Randy Osborn were having breakfast last week and began entertaining questions from those in the restaurant. “Before we knew it, the place went quite to hear both the questions and answers” O’Donohue said. It dawned on O’Donohue & Osborn that this may be the perfect venue to connect to the community in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying breakfast. O’Donohue says he has tentatively agreed to hold the “Breakfast with the Fire Chief” every first Monday of the next few months to see if it gains a following. If it does, those dining will have an opportunity to interact outside of the monthly Board meetings which are held the third Wednesday at the Golden Valley Fire Public Safety Center at 423 S. Colorado. O’Donohue added: “I’m willing to meet with any community group who calls the office and schedules time for me”.

Machinery Fire Sends Column of Black Smoke Over Golden Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:26:00 +0000

PHOTO:
Chief O’Donohue approaches the fire to assess hazards for incoming firefighters.

NARRATIVE:
Heat from a welder ignited this fire at a rock quarry on Hope Road just north of Shinarump Road Monday afternoon at 4:15 PM. Chief O’Donohue, driving down Hwy-68, noticed heavy black smoke going several hundred feet into the air from about 8-miles away and requested Golden Valley Fire units be dispatched. Upon arrival, crews discovered the thick rubberized conveyor belt and rollers on fire. The owner of the quarry was attempting to extinguish the fire with a small fire hose on site, which was brought under control within a few minutes of arrival. Damage is estimated at $5,000 for repair & replacement.

Rollover Accident Critically Injures Local Female

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:23:00 +0000

PHOTO:
GVFD paramedic - firefighters aggressively tend to the patient injured in the rollover accident.

NARRATIVE:
Monday at 4:52 PM, Golden Valley Firefighters responded to single vehicle rollover accident on northbound Hwy-93 at Mile Post 61. Firefighters arrived to find a 37-year old female driver trapped inside her vehicle that reportedly rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its wheels about 75 feet off the access road. Firefighters worked for approximately 20-minutes to extricate the victim, eventually removing the entire driver side passenger compartment to gain access. The patient was transported to KRMC. DPS remained on scene to investigate the cause. Due to the location of the accident, traffic was not impeded during the extrication.

Motorcyclist Survives 75-MPH Crash

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000

PHOTO:
Golden Valley Firefighter-Paramedics treat the driver of this late model Harley that lost control on Hwy-40.

NARRATIVE:
A 71-year-old motorcycle rider lost control, following a flat tire Wednesday at 10:10 AM, while traveling with at least two other motorcyclists from California. Witnesses report seeing the motorcycle begin to wobble violently from a flat tire before the driver lost control, sending the motorcycle and rider sliding down the highway. The rider who was wearing protective gear and a full-face helmet suffered only minor injuries in the accident. Chief O’Donohue credits the rider’s safety precautions for saving his life. “His full-faced helmet took the brunt of the force when his head and face struck the surface of the 75-MPH stretch of highway”, O’Donohue reported. Both the helmet and the motorcycle received severe damage. There were no other injuries and westbound traffic was slowed for about 30-minutes while emergency crews and DPS cleared the scene. The rider refused transport to the hospital.

Single Vehicle Rollover Sends One to the Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:00 +0000

Photo and Story by Butch Meriwether

Photo: MCSO Sergeant Bischoff can be seen completing his investigation along with Firefighter Justin Ramos.

Narrative: Golden Valley Paramedic-Firefighters responded to a single vehicle rollover Monday at 2:25 PM on Griffith Road just west of Hwy-40. The female driver of a 2002 Chrysler PT failed to negotiate the corner, causing the vehicle leave the roadway and roll over, finally ending up on its wheels. The female driver who was the only occupant, was transported to KRMC for injuries received in this accident. The cause of the accident is under investigation by MCSO.

Planting Trees on Earth Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:51:00 +0000

Mike Turner and his daughter Marcie Turner, of Island Palms Nursery in Golden Valley, use a tractor today to move one of the numerous trees they are delivering to the new 12,000-square-foot Golden Valley Fire District (GVFD) fire station being constructed on Bacobi Road.

Photo and story by Butch Meriwether

Island Palms Nursery was awarded a $5,000 contract to provide various draught-tolerant trees and shrubs to be used on the new fire station property. According To Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue of GVFD, they would gladly accept any plant and tree donations by residents who want to help out with the beautification of the fire district and to be utilized at the new fire station or the other existing fire stations. Chief O’Donohue did say the donated trees and shrubs must fall within the GVFD’s guidelines and plans for draught-tolerant vegetation. For further information about the type of trees and vegetation they will accept as a donation, please contact the GVFD administrative office at (928) 565-3479.

Truck vs. Quad Accident Sends Two to Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:01:00 +0000

PHOTO:

Golden Valley Paramedic/Firefighters treat a 12-year old female who suffered multiple injuries after being struck by a pickup truck (shown in background).

NARRATIVE:

Tuesday evening at 6:48 PM, Golden Valley Firefighters responded with MCSO to a pickup truck versus quad accident at the intersection of Shipp & San Pedro Roads. Firefighters treated two females, one 18 and the other 12 years of age, who were riding the quad; neither rider was wearing a helmet. Bystanders reported the quad riders entered the controlled intersection and collided with the eastbound full-size Dodge pickup, throwing both riders onto the pavement as their quad was struck and rolled under the front of the pickup. Both females were transported to KRMC for traumatic, although not believed to be life-threatening injuries. MCSO remained on scene to investigate the accident. The driver of the Dodge pickup was not injured in the collision. Fire officials urge all ATV and motorcycle riders to always wear proper gear, including an approved helmet to protect from head injuries which often prove fatal.

Close-Call Hwy-40 Car Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:39:00 +0000

PHOTOS:
Firefighter Justin Ramos prepares to extinguish the fire under the hood and inside the driver compartment.

NARRATIVE:
Thursday at 6:45 am, Golden Valley Firefighters extinguished a car fire on Hwy-40 at the Shinarump exit. The driver of the late 90’s Nissan was Eastbound when a vehicle driving in the same direction noticed the Nissan was on fire. The driver of the Nissan, unaware her car was on fire, initially did not pull over despite the frantic waving from the other driver. When the Nissan driver decided to pull over, she notice her brakes weren’t working and the car began to fill with smoke. Safely away from the vehicle, the passerby called 911. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and pushed the vehicle out of the roadway.

Semi Rollover Slows Hwy-40 Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:37:00 +0000

Thursday at 6:20 am, Golden Valley Firefighters responded to a semi rollover accident on Hwy-40 at Mile-Post 44. The semi, operated by Sierra West out of Santa Ana California, was the only vehicle involved. The accident occurred when the 19-year-old driver lost control of the semi truck, injuring himself and a passenger who was reported as being in the sleeper cab at the time. Both men were transported to KRMC for treatment and evaluation. The semi came to rest on its top facing the opposite direction of travel, ripping open the trailer which was full of food items. The driver reported to fire officials he had no idea how the truck came to rest in that position. This accident blocked one lane of traffic for about an hour while emergency crews treated patients and DPS investigated the accident.

Violent Hwy-40 Accident Injures Three

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:45:00 +0000

Photo:
Firefighters and flight crew treat the driver of the silver Hyundai before transporting by helicopter

Golden Valley Firefighters responded in force Thursday at 8:47 am to a remarkable two car rear-end accident on Hwy-40 Westbound where a AAA Transport vehicle struck the back of a four-door compact car. The resulting accident demolished the silver Hyundai sedan, sending the sole occupant to the Trauma Center via Guardian Air Helicopter. The patient was quickly transferred to the helicopter while the driver and passenger in the AAA Medical transport vehicle were transported to KRMC for moderate injuries. Details of the accident are pending following the investigation by DPS officials. Westbound traffic was slowed to a crawl for about 30-minutes while the patients were treated by Golden Valley Paramedics and DPS officials cleared the scene.

Governor Brewer’s State of the State Address

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:21:00 +0000

PHOTOS (from top):
Governor Jan Brewer, Supervisor Joy Brotherton, Representative Doris Goodale

Golden Valley Fire Chief O’Donohue and Assistant Chief Martin attend Governor Brewer’s State of the State Address.

Fire destroys Golden Valley home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

PHOTOS AND STORY:
by Butch Meriwether

Golden Valley Fire District firefighters extinguished a blaze that leveled a single-wide mobile home Thursday in the 2500 block of South Jade Road. No one was injured by the fire, which was handled by personnel from stations 11 and 12. The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire.

Single car accident sends two to local hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:41:00 +0000

PHOTO:

Paramedics treat the passenger for suspected injuries while firefighters prepare to extricate the driver of this vehicle.

Friday about 11:00 am: Golden Valley Firefighter-Paramedics treat two patients in a single car accident on Northbound Hwy-93, just north of the Port of Entry. Witnesses report seeing the driver swerve to avoid an unknown object, sending the vehicle into skid and ending up about 50-feet off the highway and about 25-feet up the hillside. The passenger was out of the vehicle when paramedics arrived, however Firefighters had to extricate the driver. Both occupants were transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center for minor injuries. DPS remained on scene to investigate the accident.