The landscape in Rutland changed on Saturday as four buildings owned by Pro Cooperative were burned down in a training fire coordinated by Scott Thompson of Fire Training Consultants.
A total of 58 firefighters from 12 area fire departments took part in the training exercise. Departments represented were: Gilmore City, Bode, Livermore, Bradgate, Renwick, Clare, Badger, Goldfield, West Bend, Manson, Eagle Grove and Pocahontas. There were also 12 instructors onsite.
Water was drawn from the Des Moines River just below the Rutland dam to use in the training. A crew of firefighters from Gilmore City were stationed at the river filling tanker trucks who then brought the water to a series of portable water tanks that were set up on Main Street.
Thompson also brought his aerial fire truck which he used to cool a Quonset building that was not to be burned, even though it was about two feet from a feed warehouse that was burned.