RV Fire in Coyote Canyon RV Park

Golden Valley Firefighters responded to Coyote Canyon RV Park at 6:30 pm Tuesday evening when, according to bystanders, the owner of the RV intentionally set their home ablaze and was discovered sitting next to the home as it burned until pulled away by neighbors. Firefighters from Kingman Fire responded with Golden Valley to extinguish the fire and to keep it from spreading to other homes. Firefighters prevented damage to adjacent homes and automobiles. The home was a total loss according to Chief O’Donohue. There were no injuries and the exact cause is under investigation.

Photo (01) show the fire when firefighters initially arrived.

Photo (02) shows Firefighter Robert Cole extinguishing the

flames before they spread to the adjacent vehicle and home.

  

Fatal Accident

Golden Valley Firefighters converse after extricating two persons from the wreckage of this two car accident that left one person dead and one in critical condition on Hwy 68 in front of the Off Road Diner. The Honda (pictured) was struck at approximately 7:20 Friday evening in the rear by another vehicle driving East on Hwy-68. The pickup that struck the Honda continued approximately 2-miles before stopping. Firefighters responding to back up the initial unit spotted the pickup and stopped to render aid, and requested DPS respond. Eastbound traffic on Hwy-68 was shut down for 15-minutes while the driver of the Honda was loaded onto the Care flight Helicopter for transport to a Las Vegas Trauma facility. The driver of the truck was transported to KRMC for evaluation of minor injuries according to Chief O’Donohue of Golden Valley Fire.

Bus Fire



Engineer Luke Weber and Firefighter Tony Perez attack the bus fire

 preventing it from spreading to the boat and adjacent garage.

 Golden Valley Firefighters responds to the same home in less than a week for a second fire. Friday evening Firefighters extinguished the home when a stove pipe ignited the wall, Wednesday at 6:15 PM Firefighters were dispatched to a Transit Bus fire next to a residence. Upon arrival Firefighters discovered a fully involved bus fire next to a garage.
Fire Marshal Randy Osborn reports the owner and a friend were working on the bus when a torch ignited some
material. Despite their efforts with extinguishers, the bus quickly erupted in flames. Fire Chief Thomas O’Donohue reminds us of the importance of calling 9-1-1 first to get firefighters en route. The bus was a total loss however the garage next to the bus received no damage due to the quick efforts of the firefighters.



Griffith Energy Contract

Like many fire departments; the Golden Valley Fire District is faced with a shrinking budget as assessed values continue to decrease. With this; the Board of Directors have been doing what fire departments across the country are; exploring optional funding to meet the needs of the community in an effort to leave the fire taxes where they are. Chief Thomas O’Donohue said; “Emergency medical and fire suppression costs are on the rise, as well as calls for service. In addition to in-house money saving programs, we are looking for alternative funding sources”.
One such funding source is a recent contract between Golden Valley Fire and Griffith Energy. This contract will bring $295,000 a year into the Fire District for the next five years. In addition; provisions in the contract allow for an adjustment upward if the Fire District provides an operational fire station within 5-miles of the facility. O’Donohue continued; “Since Griffith Energy is just outside the District boundary; we had two choices: enter into a contract and provide services, or back up a private provider who would call for our assistance”.
Griffith Energy Plant Manager Mike Hartsig says: “We had to make a decision between four organizations competing for the contract, although not the least expensive option, the services provided by Golden Valley Fire provided the best overall fit for our needs . In addition; we want to have a positive relationship with the community in which many of our employees live.” said Hartsig. Chief O’Donohue said a significant portion of the contract will be used to bring improved training to the firefighters that meets the specific needs of Griffith Energy and enhances emergency services to the region. The result is a superior trained firefighter, which benefits our community on every single emergency incident. With the long safety record of Griffith Energy, the District will receive a substantial benefit of stable income, training, and a hand in their continued success in our community.

Rash of structure fires hit Golden Valley

Golden Valley Fire District has been quite busy over the last month with an abnormal amount of residential structure fires. Sunday’s fire came on the heel of three others in the last month. The fire Sunday was reported to 9-1-1 at 1:54 pm at West Miramar Road. Residents reported smoke from underneath the home and evacuated the residence. Firefighters immediately went under the home and discovered a fire that was just about to turn tragic. Chief O’Donohue commented that it was fortunate that this was during the day when the owners were awake and smelled the smoke, adding: “The best insurance is a properly working smoke detector”. Firefighters worked for over an hour inside and under the home to remove most of the insulation and dismantle portions of the furnace to track down the cause of the fire. Investigators remain on scene to determine the cause. Although the occupants will be displaced for several days, there were no injuries to report.