Left edge of tabHelpful LinksRight edge of tab
Left edge of tabNews ArchivesRight edge of tab
Left edge of tabPBCFR Department NewsRight edge of tab

Browse News Articles

Page 1| Page 2| Page 3| Page 4| Page 5| Page 6|Page 7| Page 8| Page 9| Page 10

Cropduster Training in Belle GladeCropduster Training in Belle Glade
Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky. Posted on June 3rd , 2008

BELLE GLADE - On Monday, June 2, 2008, crews from Station 73 attended an aircraft familiarization session at Air Crop Care, located at the Belle Glade State Airport. Willy Lee, a pilot with Air Crop Care, discussed the Air Tractor AT-502 cropduster aircraft with the crews. The training included how the aircraft operated, hazards of this particular aircraft, and suggested procedures when rescuing a pilot.

The Air Tractor AT-502 is a turboprop aircraft capable of carrying 500 gallons of product which can either be sprayed through under-wing nozzles or dumped all at once out of the hopper. Most cropdusters in western Palm Beach County are this type of aircraft.

Rollover with Extrication on US 27 Near OkeelantaRollover with Extrication on US 27 Near Okeelanta
Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky. Posted on June 3rd , 2008

OKEELANTA – At approximately 12:30 pm on Monday, June 2, 2008, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue station 74 responded to a report of a rollover vehicle crash with entrapment on US Highway 27, several miles south of the Okeelanta Sugar Mill, or about 15 miles south of the City of South Bay.

Crews arrived to find a single vehicle that had rolled over several times, landing upright with the driver trapped inside. The crews extricated the patient using the Hurst Tool ("Jaws of Life"). The patient was transported to a local Trauma Center via TraumaHawk. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

Units on scene: E74, R74, DC7, EMS7, TH1.

Mobile Home FireMobile Home Fire
Photos by Kevin Higgs-Pinkston, A-Shift Supervisor, Palm Springs Fire Rescue. Posted on June 2nd , 2008

7272 42nd Way (off of Blue Heron Blvd west of I-95): Mobile Home Fire dispatched at 0738 Saturday May 31.

Units responding were: TR61, R63, E63, E68, E17, T21, E23, DC6, EMS6

Structure Fire in Belle GladeStructure Fire in Belle Glade
Posted on June 2nd , 2008

On Tuesday, May 13, 2008, BC7, DC7, E73, E73B, E74, Q29, R73, R74 and Investigator 4 responded to a residential structure fire in Belle Glade. Units arrived to find heavy smoke showing.

Brush Fire in Pahokee Threatens Junk YardBrush Fire in Pahokee Threatens Junk Yard
Story and photos by Mark Carr. Posted on May 14th , 2008

A small brush fire near Glades Drive and 87th Place North in Pahokee didn't take long to be whipped by high winds into a fast-moving, 5-acre threat on May 12th. Units from Station 72 in Pahokee as well as Station 73 in Belle Glade and Station 21 in Loxahatchee fought the afternoon fire involving sugar cane, brush, old auto parts, tires and other debris well into the evening and were back on scene the next day continuing mop up.

Bordered by railroad tracks on the west and an apartment complex to the south, the fire moved rapidly toward an abandoned strip mall to the east and a junk yard to the east and north. Poor access and thick smoke hampered firefighters' efforts to contain the blaze. Large volumes of water were put on the fire stopping its forward progress just before it reached a large metal building housing used auto parts and machinery. Junk cars were moved by forklift out of harms way as firefighters fought to contain the fire.

Commercial Structure Fire in West BoyntonCommercial Structure Fire in West Boynton
Story and Photos by Capt. Don Delucia, PIO. Posted on May 7th , 2008

A fire at the Vienna Fliar Hair Styling Salon in Western Boynton the evening of May 6, brought 8 units and some 20 firefighters to a strip shopping center around 9:40 PM. One unit occupied by the Vienna Flair Hair Styling salon had had a small fire which put out a fair amount of smoke that eventually entered a number of adjoining units and caused the evacuation of a small pub that was also in the center. Damage was kept to the unit of origin and the source of the fire is under investigation.

Units on scene included E41, Q47, E46, E42, R41, EMS4, DC4, BC4, PI1 and IV4 (Farill).

House Fire in South BayHouse Fire in South Bay
Story and Photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky. Posted on May 7th , 2008

SOUTH BAY - At approximately 7:30am on Tuesday, May 6, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 "A" Shift responded to a reported house fire in the City of South Bay. Crews arrived to find smoke and fire coming from one of the rear bedrooms. Crews were able to confine the fire to the room of origin, but the rest of the house suffered severe smoke damage. The residents were not home during the fire, and the American Red Cross is handling their accomodations. No one was injured during the fire and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, E74, R73, DC7, EMS7

Car Fire in the GladesCar Fire in the Glades
Story and Photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky. Posted on May 6th , 2008

BELLE GLADE - At approximately 6:10 pm crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 73 "C" Shift responded to a reported car fire on Hatton Highway between US Highway 98 and State Road 80 in the rural sugar cane fields east of Belle Glade. The smoke plume could be seen for several miles. Crews arrived to find a Ford Explorer fully engulfed in fire. The crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly after arriving, but the vehicle was a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Units on scene: E73B, R73, EMS7

Abandoned Building Fire in Belle GladeAbandoned Building Fire in Belle Glade
Story and photos by Capt. Craig Prusansky. Posted on May 6th , 2008

BELLE GLADE - At approximately 8:30 am on May 3, 2008, crews from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Stations 73 and 74 "A" Shift responded to a reported fire in an abandoned building in the southwest section of the City of Belle Glade. Crews arrived to find smoke and fire coming from one of the units on the ground floor. A pile of debris inside of the abandoned apartment was on fire, and was rapidly extinguished by the crews. No one was injured during the fire. The fire is being labeled as "suspicious" and the cause is still under investigation.

Units on scene: E73, E73B, E74, R73, DC7, EMS7

Bryant Sugar Mill FireBryant Sugar Mill Fire
Story by Rescue Lt. Tony Faso, R72. Photos by EMS-7 Craig Prusansky, Rescue Lt. Tony Faso and others on scene.. Posted on May 6th , 2008

All units from Battalion 7 responded to the Bryant Sugar Mill for a Commercial Structure Fire on Saturday 05/03/2008 at 1809 hrs. The entire sugar mill is currently under demolition and has had several fires there recently. The fires have been started by the sparks of the torches used to dismantle the structure. While enroute, station 72 units reported heavy black smoke from a distance. E72 arrived on scene and reported a 4-story commercial structure with a working fire and 4 stories involved with fire. Since the site is under demolition, all of the hydrants have been turned off and were no longer in service. The engines on scene worked together and were able to shuttle water to supply the attack lines. The fire is fueled by "baggasse" which is fine particles (like saw dust) leftover from the processing of sugar cane into sugar. The structure doesn't have any walkable floors so the fire was extinguished from a defensive mode outside.

Thanks to units E72, R72, T72, E73, E73b, R73, E74, T21, Q29, BC7, EMS7 and the Incident Commander, District Chief Gary Burroughs DC7, an effective and safe fire attack was done without any injuries.

Fire in Brazilian Court Draws Mutual AidFire in Brazilian Court Draws Mutual Aid
Story and photos by Mark Carr. Posted on May 6th , 2008

Three local fire departments came together to work hand-in-hand to extinguish a fire in a mansion in the Town of Palm Beach on May 5th. Just after noon, reports of a fire in the 400 block of Brazilian Court were received by the town's dispatch system. The fire quickly exceeded the capabilities of first-in units and mutual aid was requested. The City of West Palm Beach's Fire Department responded with several units as well as Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. Local police cordoned off the street as a large plume of smoke visible for miles attracted onlookers from all over.

Within a couple of hours, firefighters from the three agencies were able to bring the fire under control but not before the house was rendered a total loss. One dog was saved from the burning house but news reports say that several others were lost. News reports put the loss at over 5-million dollars.

Page 1| Page 2| Page 3| Page 4| Page 5| Page 6|Page 7| Page 8| Page 9| Page 10


All articles ©2006, all rights reserved. If you would like to reproduce or reprint any articles or images, in whole or part, please contact the Public Informations Officer.