Collision made wall come tumbling down at residence
FIRE & EMS WATCH
Becky Robinette Wright

Becky Robinette Wright/Chesterfield Observer A car plowed into this apartment building at the Park at Lakewood.

Bricks tumbled onto the sidewalk and a cloud of dust filled the air in the Park at Lakewood apartment complex when a driver lost control of a car on Oct. 3 around 6:30 p.m. and careened into a residence.

Emergency crews from Bensley and Dale responded along with county police.

Neighbors stood on nearby sidewalks with looks of disbelief on their faces at the mishap. Firefighters placed wooden blocks under the car to stabilize it.

The incident is under investigation.

Dangerous fire operation on Route 288

Tractor-trailers and cars whizzed by in a blur as firefighters perched on the edge of Route 288 at the southbound Iron Bridge Road exit on Oct. 6 around 5 p.m. to fight a fire in the woods.

Crews from Airport and Centralia stations had their work cut out for them. Traffic posed a hazard as they carried heavy hoses down a deep ravine and then walked deep into the woods through thick brush. Winds were blowing embers as mosquitoes swarmed around crews.

Becky Robinette Wright/Chesterfield Observer Two vehicles smacked each other head-on while driving through a Shell Station parking lot on Iron Bridge Road.

Firefighters had placed orange cones and flares around their emergency vehicles but oncoming traffic seemed oblivious to them, crushing several cones and even running over flares. State police arrived and set up a perimeter.

Firefighters worked on the fire for two hours and then called for back-up from Airport's foam truck. The mammoth vehicle called a P19 or Foam 15 is normally used for fighting aircraft fires.

Burning smell in an apartment

Manchester firefighters lit their flashing lights and sounded the siren from their engine on Oct. 3 around 5 p.m. as they responded to a call indicating a burning smell was coming from an apartment in the 3300 block of Tanners Way in the Rollingwood complex.

Upon arriving, crews used a special device called a thermal image camera to check the apartment walls and neighboring residences to make sure nothing was burning in the walls or ceilings. It was quickly discovered that an overheated water heater was the culprit. Repair crews from the apartment complex then responded.

One injured in gas station crash

Two vehicles crashed into each other while trying to navigate through the Shell Station parking lot at Iron Bridge and Irongate roads on Oct. 2 shortly after noon. One person was injured but was not transported to the hospital. Police have not said if charges will be filed. Dale firefighters and medics responded to the incident.

Kitchen fire

Crews from Courthouse, Buford, Manchester and Airport were dispatched on Oct. 3 to the 9400 block of Kendrick Road for smoke in a residence. Firefighters discovered a burning pot on a stove. The situation was brought quickly under control.