05/17/2026
On Saturday, May 16, 2026, crews from the Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company participated in County / Region Training, which was hosted by the Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company. Firefighters, using an acquired (donated) house set to be razed, performed live fire training evolution's at a location in Edesville. Companies from across the county / region participated.
These evolution's were conducted strictly following the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standard 1403, which outlines the minimum safety requirements, instructor responsibilities, and procedural guidelines for conducting realistic, controlled burns to prevent firefighter injuries and fatalities. The live fire training came off without a hitch. A forcible entry prop was additionally made available for those wishing to go through the realism of forcing entry into a building through a door.
To help build confidence, training opportunities like this provide invaluable experience for new firefighters to see similar type conditions they might encounter in a bonafide real structure fire. These opportunities also provide more experienced firefighters the chance to hone and refresh their skills.
Once the acquired structure is used up, crews on the training ground redeployed resources, at which time the structure is allowed to burn. We sometimes call this a Controlled Burn, or a Control Burn. During the initial phase of the prescription burn, when the fire is at it’s potential hottest, water is sparingly applied to keep the fire down to a reasonable, manageable level. If allowed to get too hot, unpleasant thing(s) might happen…. Nearby, uninvolved structures may sustain heat damage or even catch fire, paint and / or plastic lenses on nearby fire apparatus may be scorched / melted, etc. While fire companies carry insurance against mishaps like these, it’s always best to keep things under control and not have to deal with that.
