Goldwater Range firefighters lend hand to local fire departments

  • Published
  • By Teresa Walker
  • 56th Range Management Office Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The phone rang around 2 a.m. July 20 at the Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field. Assistant Fire Chief James Peterson, retired Air Force firefighter, answered the call. There was a fire at the Doubletree Paper Mill on Thayer Road in Gila Bend.

Although not a normal emergency for the Goldwater Range Fire Department, located next to the runway on the auxiliary field, there was no question that the firefighters would respond.

"We're all firefighters and we help each other out," said Peterson. "If they (the Gila Bend Fire Department) need our help, they call us and if we need theirs, we know we can call them. The Air Force has a strong commitment to the local community."

Since the runway was closed at that time, one truck and three firefighters were left at the aux field to deal with any structural issues that might occur while the others deployed.

A lightning storm had brought down some electric poles in the area, and to make matters worse, there was only 300,000 gallons of water to put the fire out. Since electricity wasn't available, the water storage tank couldn't be refilled when it became empty.

"We started a water resupply operation, shuttling water from the town and the aux field," Peterson said. "We brought in 120,000 gallons of water."

Meanwhile, the fire that had started in the middle of the warehouse where big rolls of tissue paper and compressed pulp bundles were stacked was growing.

Gila Bend Fire Chief David Birchfield, incident commander, determined it was too risky to send anyone inside.

"Imagine a roll of paper towels that stands eight feet high and four feet across - and there are 3,000 of them," he said. "When they get wet, they start to lean. I didn't want to send anyone in there because the pallets were too high. We knew the building was clear (of people) and that's the most important thing."

The priority when fighting fire is the firefighter's safety, and at this particular fire, to provide relief on site and keep the fire from spreading into the main manufacturing portion of the plant.

According to Birchfield, the manufacturing plant, valued between $50 and $55 million, survived intact, short a warehouse.

"We ran out of manpower and when you live in a big town, you just call more people in to help, but in a small town, we have to rely on volunteers," Birchfield said. "Without the help of the firemen from the Gila Bend Air Force base, we might have lost the entire facility."

The Goldwater Range Fire Department has 12 trucks, and a total of 38 contracted employees managed by Yulista Management Services, Inc. to support the flying mission. Three of those are full-time paramedics and five part-time paramedics. Each of two shifts has 11 firefighters and one medic on duty.