After fighting the massive fire on Broadway April 24, the De Pere Fire Chief is looking to install a firefighting tool which rural communities have been using for years.
Fire Chief Matzke says firefighters lost control of the blaze until rural fire crews assisting in the effort started drawing water from the Fox River for much need ammunition
“We pumped over 8,000 gallons a minute out of the river that night,” Fire Chief Matzke told Local 5.
The river-fueled dosing again giving firefighters the upper hand.
“That’s what turned the tide in that firefight,” Matzke continued. “Where we were able to put enough water on it to overcome the BTUs being generated.”
And while effective, setting up that drafting operation took precious time. Now, Matzke is proposing a tool to draw water easily from the Fox River 24/7 by installing something called a dry hydrant.