Homes, cars and power poles weren’t the only things that went up in smoke in the Monument Hill Fire this week. A Grant County Fire District 3 truck fell victim to the firestorm on Wednesday.
Fire District 3 Chief Don Fortier says the two firefighters manning the truck were doing structure protection on a house at Rd 13 and Rd J when the fire exploded and spread into the brush underneath the truck. Fortier says the two crew members tried to move the vehicle but for whatever reason, they couldn’t. “We’re going to investigate if the mishaps was due to mechanical failure,” said Fortier.
Both firefighters got away safely but the truck was a total loss. The 1997 Class A fire rig was worth around $150,000 but the vehicle was fully insured so it won’t come out of the county’s budget.