Greene County area fire departments recently participated in a training exercise to fight fires in confined spaces.

Jefferson Fire Chief Jack Williams says they brought in a trailer to practice fighting fires in basements. Fire departments from Jefferson, Grand Junction, Paton, Churdan and Scranton, along with Greene County Emergency Medical Services, and Grand Junction and Churdan Rescue Units participated in the training. Two and three person crews started at the top of the trailer and practiced how to attack a fire while navigating their way down to the bottom of what would be a “basement.”

The trailer was provided by the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau in Ames and it was done for free. Williams says this is the fourth time, since he’s been on the department, that they’ve had this kind of training. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio the biggest threat with basement fires is the heat that is in the stairwell.