HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-08-23, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012.Building with solar panels tests firefighters
On the job
Firefighters from the Blyth and Wingham stations of the Fire Department of North Huron, as well as from the Central Huron Fire
Department, were on the scene on Aug. 16 when a blaze broke out at Bosma Farms just south of Blyth. For North Huron, this
was their first live test with a building equipped with solar panels, an issue that has debate raging in the firefighting community.
The fire broke out shortly after dinnertime that Wednesday night and burned the entire shed to the ground. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
On Thursday evening, the Fire
Department of North Huron was
called out to an electrical fire on
Hwy. 4 just south of Blyth and it
would be the department’s first live
fire involving a building equipped
with solar panels.
The fire was at Bosma Farms at
82541 London Road and units from
the Wingham and Blyth stations of
the Fire Department of North
Huron as well as the Central Huron
Fire Department were all
dispatched to the scene.
North Huron Deputy-Chief Dave
Sparling said the fire was unique
and the biggest challenge the
firefighters faced was the
involvement of solar panels and not
knowing how they would react
under the heat.
Sparling said he received reports
from fellow North Huron
firefighters who said they could
see the smoke from the fire, which
was between Blyth and
Londesborough, from as far away
as Belgrave, nearly 14 kilometres
away.
Upon arrival, Sparling said he
thought the black smoke coming
from the burning shed resembled a
tire fire.
Sparling said the thing that struck
him was just how hot the fire was
burning. It was unlike anything he
had ever seen he said.
“I was amazed at the amount of
heat and smoke and the fire that
resulted from the panels on the
roof,” Sparling said in an interview
with The Citizen. “It was a big eye-
opener.”
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
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