Rescue on Route 32
 
By Firefighter/EMT Pieter Lucas
March 16, 2020
 

At 14:53 today Station 3 units were dispatched to a collision with unknown injuries on Route 32 just north of Route 99. Arriving on scene quickly, Tower 3’s officer determined that it was as-dispatched – a vehicle vs. power pole with significant damage to the vehicle. Fortunately there were no injuries to the vehicle's occupants. The power pole was intact but a wire had dislodged and was resting on a wooden cross-piece. Soon, small amounts of smoke were seen coming out of the cracks in the wood at the top of the pole, indicating the pole was highly charged and beginning to burn from the center outward. Visible flames began on the outside of the pole and spread to the cross-member, dropping embers that started the first of two minor grass fires. Tower 3 and Tanker 3 switched places and the fires were extinguished from a safe distance. Not long after, with the pole still burning at the top, the cross-member gave way and three separate wire arcs impressively went off. BGE arrived soon thereafter and completed extinguishment at the top from one of their bucket trucks, and Station 3 units went ready a little over an hour after the initial call. Route 32 was closed in both directions while units operated on scene.

 
Units: Tower 3, Paramedic 35, Tanker 3