Sheriff’s Deputies Grabbed Hoses to Fight Amish Sawmill Blaze Before Fire Crews Arrived
Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County, New York showed up on the scene of a fully involved fire at an Amish sawmill yesterday morning.
Fire crews had yet to arrive – so the two men, Lieutenant Justin Smith and Sergeant Luke Paine, had to act quickly.
As it happened, one of them had firefighting training, and the other did not. More from WRGB 6 News:
GLEN, N.Y. (WRGB) — When an Amish sawmill caught fire in Glen on Thursday morning, two members of the sheriff’s department quickly pivoted to new roles.
The fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. Investigators say cold weather, snow, and the lack of a nearby water source made fighting the fire difficult.
The sheriff’s office says Lt. Justin Smith and Sgt. Luke Paine were first on scene.
They stepped in to help before additional firefighters and equipment arrived. The fire was fully involved at the time.
According to the department, Lt. Smith is already a certified volunteer firefighter, while Sgt. Paine “became a firefighter for the morning.”
Becoming a firefighter for a morning is probably not what Sergeant Paine had in mind when he woke up. But looks like the rose to the challenge. In smaller rural communities especially, emergency responders have to be ready to assume multiple roles.
The cause of the fire? An engine from a saw, situated near sawdust, was named as the potential culprit. Unfortunately, the structure was a total loss, but thankfully no one was hurt.
I don’t have hard numbers but having long read about such fires in Amish shops and businesses, it seems to me that hot engines and equipment left near flammable material tend to be a frequent cause of such blazes. Many Amish workshops get their power from diesel engines which generate power but also heat.
Sadly it’s been a tough recent stretch for Amish businesses when it comes to fire, given the blaze which claimed one Idaho family’s country market Saturday.
Like in that case, the owner of this sawmill (I assume it’s likely he is the Amish man standing next to the deputies in the photo) will get substantial help from his community in getting the building back up again.
Montgomery County is home to several Amish settlements. This happened in the one near Glen, which has a population of around 600 Amish people. It’s one of around five dozen total Amish communities in New York.
Amish Sawmill Fire
Oh, snap!! Not AGAIN?! Another much needed/appreciated Amish business up in flames. How horrible. Just wish they’d consider installing a good sprinkler system. But I know they rely on the Lord and their neighbors. Thank goodness nobody was hurt. And that the Amish have their spirit of Christian charity, or this gentleman might never get up and running again. Bet the deputies never dreamed they’d be doing “double duty” when they woke up that morning. Three cheers for their bravery! Prayers for everyone in this community. Thank you Erik, for letting us know about it. Have a marvelous Sunday, everyone!
Sure thing and same to you too, belatedly, KD!