Two Semi's Tangle on I-40 at Mile Post 40

Golden Valley Firefighters responded to eastbound I-40 at milepost 40, at 08:10 A.M. Saturday morning where they found two Semi/Tractor Trailers had collided. One occupant needed to be extricated from the sleeper of one of the trucks. That occupant was transported to KRMC with non-life threatening injuries by RMI. There were 3 other individuals involved and all refused medical treatment. After medical care was provided and the vehicles were stabilized for any further hazards, the scene was turned over to DPS and A.D.O.T. which had the highway reduced to one lane while they investigated and removed the wreckage.

Car vs. Motorcycle at Highway 68 & Bouse Road

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Golden Valley Firefighter-Paramedics prepare the injured motorcycle rider for transportation to KRMC.

Golden Valley Firefighter-Paramedics treat an approximately 60 year old man after he and a car collided on westbound Hwy-68 at Bouse Roads.  An off-duty Golden Valley Fire District member came up on the accident and reported it directly to dispatch. The patient was transferred to KRMC as a Level-1 Trauma and the driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.  Bystanders assisted with patient care until paramedics arrived.  The cause of the accident is still under investigation by DPS.

Brush Fire threatens So-Hi residents

Golden Valley Fire Firefighters’ quick action prevented a brush fire from moving through the canyon into the So-Hi community.  Approximately 9:00 am Monday morning reports came in of a fire threatening the water towers on Ranch Road in the So-Hi area.  First arriving units reported an approximately 1-acre fire with flame lengths over 9-feet into the air as fire consumed brush and dry grass. With southerly winds fanning the flames, Golden Valley Fire officials called for mutual-aid from NACFD and BLM to assure sufficient resources to handle the fire swiftly.  The winds were pushing the fire down toward the So-Hi community.  Captain Boyd Lewis stated the fire was contained within 20-minutes of arrival and complete extinguishment and mop-up operations approximately 2-hours later.  Fire officials stress that early reporting is critical in these situations where the temperatures continue to rise and humidity levels are in the low to mid teens, making fires such as these even more dangerous. GVFD officials stated residential permitted burning will be canceled soon due to both factors. In all approximately 15 firefighters responded to this incident.

PHOTO:  Aaron Green from Arizona State Forestry instructs Wildland Firefighters about boot safety and stepping into deep holes containing red hot embers.

Members of the Golden Valley Firefighter Wildland Fire Team attend a continuing education class at the new Golden Valley Fire District’s Public Safety Training Center in preparation of the summer season.  Captain Dave Martin, who manages the program stated this training is both a refresher for experienced Wildland Firefighters as well as new members who are learning about wildland fire behavior, weather patterns, tree falling, firefighter safety and how topography affects the speed which fire travels and predicable directions based on weather conditions.  Assistant Chief Ted Martin emphasized the importance of pre-season fire training that benefits the firefighters and the safety of the citizens. Assistant Chief Martin reminded homeowners of the importance of clearing a “Defensible Space” from combustible debris around your home of at least 30-feet in all directions to significantly reduce the ability of fire from reaching your home.

Highway 40 Brush Fires

Thursday around 2:45 PM, 911 received reports of multiple brush fires that extended for a 9-mile stretch of Hwy-40 between Mile-Posts 36 to 44.  Golden Valley Fire District mobilized multiple units and requested Mutual-Aid from Yucca Fire District. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue reported that traffic was slowed for approximately 45 minutes while crews extinguished and mopped-up at least four separate fires along the 9-mile stretch, primarily in the median of the highway. In all, six fire apparatus responded to handle the fires before they became too large.  ADOT and DPS units slowed traffic, moving it to the outside lane while fire crews worked to control the fires. Although no specific cause was identified, fires such as these are caused by a single vehicle throwing sparks from a brake fire.