Dozens of volunteers battled a stubborn Richmondville brush fire for three days last week, and in the end, the firefighters won.
The blaze started about 2pm Wednesday along the Norfolk Southern rail line in West Richmondville and the Otsego County line and quickly spread to the Winegard and Palmer roads area.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it may have been caused by a passing train or work being done on the track, authorities believe. There’s a state-imposed ban on outdoor burning.
“It points to the railroad, but I don’t know if we’ll ever have a specific cause,” Richmondville Fire Chief Shawn DesRoches said.
He was at work in Albany when the fire broke out, and Richmondville First Assistant Chief Gary Rightmyer was first called to Winegard Road.
“There were four separate fires, and we were pretty sure we had it under control,” Mr. Rightmyer said.
“But then the wind changed, and it became one big fire.”
Mr. Rightmyer called in neighboring fire departments; eventually, 13 Schoharie County departments were at the scene, with others from Otsego County.
Volunteers set up a command post at the nearby Christian Community Church of Faith and a staging area at Richmondville’s Radez School, where equipment could be parked. Rescue squads were on hand as well.
The wind continued to be a problem on Wednesday, and the attack became more difficult as the fire crept up steep Pine Hill.
“High winds pushed the fire very rapidly, and the steep hill was difficult,” said Chief DesRoches, who arrived at the fire shortly after 3pm Wednesday. “I hiked it Friday, and it’s no joke.”
With no direct route to the flames, volunteers used off-road vehicles with tanks to fill firefighters’ backpacks along the fire line.
No homes were damaged and only one shed was lost at a residence on Ford Hill Road, off Winegard Road, Mr. Rightmyer said.
“The fire was right at his doorstep, but we managed to contain it,” Mr. Rightmyer said.
DEC’s Forest Rangers played a major role. Forest Ranger Aaron France was in charge Thursday and organized the second day’s attack after volunteers monitored the fire as it burned through Wednesday night.
The state office also brought more resources: 15 Forest Rangers and a helicopter to drop water on the blaze.
“Aaron did a great job organizing volunteers,” said Lieutenant Jeff Breigle, a forest ranger with the DEC Division of Forest Protection.
“Forest Rangers have varying degrees of expertise in fighting these kinds of fires,” Lt. Breigle added.
Rangers and volunteers attacked the fire on its western side and had it contained about 1pm Thursday, he said.
The attack still continued on Friday, and Forest Ranger France and others were walking the fire line on Saturday to make sure the blaze didn’t rekindle.
Help came not only from the state and neighboring fire departments, but also from businesses and individuals. Businesses donated water, beverages, food and supplies, and friends got the goods to firefighters.
“The response from volunteer companies and our county partners and state partners was just amazing,” Chief DesRoches said.
“We appreciate all the support from around the region to get this wrapped up in three days.”