A new pumper truck will greatly help Benton County Fire District 4 battle the blazes around the Mid-Columbia.
This week, the new water tender purchase was announced. It carries 3,000 gallons of water, and can pump our at a rate of 500 gallons per minute.
Fire Chief Bill Whealan says while it was a considerable expenditure, it was far cheaper than a new truck, which would have cost around $600,000. This unit was $240.000. The purchase was needed because a water tender that was contracted to the District from the Department of Natural Resources was taken out of service, leaving a void in the District’s capability to fight rural area fires where no water sources were present.
The new unit will arrive in October. Benton County Fire District 4 serves over 17,000 people and covers an area over 52 square miles, including the city of West Richland.
With this year’s record wildfires, the need to keep as much upgraded equipment possible and ready for action was very much a concern.