VIDEO: The smoke was part of the Ellsworth Fire Departmentโs annual fire training which included both the South Dakota and Nebraska National Guard. โThis is exciting, challenging and real-world training that the soldiers enjoy doing and this is what prepares us best for when real world fire emergencies take place,โ said the commanding officer for the Nebraska Army National Guard firefighter teams, Andrew Walton.
Approximately 30 firefighters from the guard were put through a downed aircraft fire simulation. โThis is especially useful when you have a large fire that you canโt really approach very well on foot,โ said the lead firefighter for the South Dakota Army National Guard, Clayton Spencer. โSo, you kind of knock it down a little bit, and then youโre able to get a little bit closer and then pull the hand lines off. And then you can do some more work once you get off.โ
On windy days like Monday, Spencer said the wind can pose as a challenge, but it can also be used as a tool. โIn this case, we fight upwind of the fire, and it helps us push the fire to a certain spot, then you can target it better,โ said Spencer. โWeโve got a bunch fuel spilled in there, and then we always try to push it away from the civiliansโ escape route,โ said a firefighter for the Nebraska National Guard, Laura Dietz. โSo, weโd go from the front of the plane, pushing it to the back, using the wind kind to our advantage.โ
